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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29798997">Pulley System</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/romioneB/pseuds/romioneB'>romioneB</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:20:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>68,233</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29798997</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/romioneB/pseuds/romioneB</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermione Granger was responsible, intelligent, and polite. Ronald Weasley was irresponsible, lazy, and impolite. The fact that they were different in every possible way made it extremely odd that the two of them had been the best of friends since they were eleven years old. Muggle AU.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>433</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>100</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Hermione Granger was responsible, intelligent, and polite. Her room was always immaculate and she dusted and vacuumed it regularly. Her clothes were always folded and her socks were always matched before they were put away in her dresser drawers. All of her tops were hung neatly in her closet by color and on their color coded hangers. On the wall opposite from her bedroom door she had shelves full of books that were sorted in alphabetical order and were her most treasured belongings. Any time she had a moment to spare she would be reading, her mind escaping to another place as she read her stories. She was usually very busy and took her schooling very seriously, always wanting to get further ahead in her studies so she could graduate as soon as possible. She was sixteen years old and a self-taught student who had been doing homeschooling since the young age of nine. She had asked her parents to be taken out of school to be homeschooled so she wouldn't have to be around kids that didn't understand her, and also so she would be able to work at her own pace; one that she found was over twice as fast as the normal student. Despite her young age, she was set to graduate at the end of the semester and was planning to move on to a nearby university where she planned to earn her bachelor's in science before eventually moving on to earn more degrees; she wanted it all . She was an only child and tended to prefer the peace and quiet that came along with that so she could get her work done. She was a perfectionist and slightly OCD, always straightening things, and going over her work several times looking for any mistakes that she might have missed. She had a great relationship with both of her parents that adored her, and every adult that had ever met her only complimented her on how mature, put together, and bright she was for her age. She tended to feel more comfortable around adults rather than with people her own age and had always been that way, unable to relate to other kids who didn't take things seriously, especially their futures. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ronald Weasley was irresponsible, lazy, and impolite. His room was always a mess and he wasn't even sure </span>
  <em>
    <span>how </span>
  </em>
  <span>to use a vacuum, and didn't even know what a duster </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His wall was littered with over thirty posters of sports teams, rock bands, and beautiful women in bikinis. He went to school everyday, and managed to scrape by with straight C’s, unwilling to put forth full effort into schoolwork, preferring to socialize instead. He was sixteen years old, and the youngest boy out of seven children, all boys with the exception of one younger sister. His house was loud and obnoxious, with all of his siblings trying to get words in all at once, making the house quite hostile, but yet still full of love (most) of the time. He was a slob, who left his clothes and his candy wrappers everywhere and would rather throw his banana peels under his bed than get up and walk out to the trash can that his mum kept in the hallway for such occasions. He never put away any of his clothes, and preferred to get his clean clothes from the laundry basket of clean laundry that his mum put into his room three times a week. He had a closet, but it was full of rubbish that he had collected throughout the years, the few hangers hanging in there were empty. Although his parents loved him very much, he always exasperated them by not taking anything seriously and always getting in trouble at school with his teachers for his ‘couldn't care less’ attitude and his very crude sense of humor that caused him to make loud jokes that often sent him straight to the principal's office. Being the class clown of sorts caused him to be immensely popular, with everyone wanting to be his friend. When he wasn't grounded, he often found himself at parties and partook in a lot of underage drinking and the occasional joint.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fact that they were different in every possible way made it extremely odd that the two of them had been the best of friends since they were eleven years old. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione had lived in her family’s two story home since she had been born. When she had started her homeschooling, she had thrown everything into learning as much as possible, and her work had always made her feel good about herself. Her parents bought her a large white desk that they put right in front of her window, so when she would work, the sunlight could be her light. When she was eleven, a moving truck backed into the driveway of the house next door and caused her to pause at her desk, an extremely rare occurrence. She allowed herself to watch then as a minivan that had followed the moving truck parked next to the curb, the doors instantly opening and a bunch of ginger headed children scrambling out all at once, as if they were fighting to be the first to go explore their new house. She watched as the smallest ginger boy was practically run over by two boys who looked like they were twins, causing him to fall flat onto the concrete, his features wincing in pain. Even from where she was sitting upstairs she could see the blood dripping from his chin when he stood up and followed them, his hand now over his wound. For some strange reason he stopped and looked up directly into Hermione’s open window and caught her looking down at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oi! What are </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> looking at?” he called up angrily to her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her mouth had dropped open in shock. The </span>
  <em>
    <span>nerve </span>
  </em>
  <span>of this pompous little boy! She merely glared back at him before he snorted and continued on his way into his new home. Hermion rolled her eyes and got back to her schoolwork. What did that rude boy even matter to her? The answer was simple, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn't</span>
  </em>
  <span> and she would do her best to stay far away from him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few days after the incident with the surly ginger kid, she was woken up around eleven PM with repeated little taps on her window. Bewildered, she got up to investigate and was furious when she realized that it was the same boy, a large scab now on his chin as he used an airsoft gun to shoot pellets and hit her window over and over, a mischievous sideways grin on his face. She felt anger rising up inside. How </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare</span>
  </em>
  <span> he shoot his little gun at her window! How </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare</span>
  </em>
  <span> he wake her up in the middle of the night! How </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare</span>
  </em>
  <span> he smile at her as if he was playing with her, </span>
  <em>
    <span>as if</span>
  </em>
  <span> she would ever want to play with </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She put her hands on her hips and gave him her meanest glare, but that seemed only to spur him on, his finger not leaving the trigger as he kept pelting her window, his grin growing even wider. She knew that he wasn't going to stop so she figured that she would just wait until he ran out of his little plastic bullets. As if reading her mind, he stopped and pulled out a large container of small neon green balls, a large 10,000 on the front. He held it up proudly to show her that he wasn't going to be running out any time soon. Despite being scared that he might actually start shooting at her if she dared open her window to tell him off, her anger won out, and that’s exactly what she did. Once the window was open, she was relieved when he put the gun away. She leaned out of it a bit, her mouth open to angrily tell him off, when he interrupted her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Finally!</span>
  <em>
    <span>”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he said, “That only took </span>
  <em>
    <span>forever.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That only took- </span>
  <em>
    <span>what?!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she shrieked back at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shhhh!” he chastised her as if he had </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> right to do so. “What's your name?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That is absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>none</span>
  </em>
  <span> of your business!” she responded angrily. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m Ron,” he told her as if they were in the middle of a polite conversation. “Sorry for being rude the other day, it wasn't my finest moment,” he said as he shrugged.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah well, you're being even </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> rude right now! What makes you think that you can just wake me up like that? That you can even aim your little plaything at my window? You are extremely immature, and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>should</span>
  </em>
  <span> march right over there tomorrow and tell your parents what you were doing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh no! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please</span>
  </em>
  <span> don't tell my parents! I’ll do </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” he said in mock seriousness before slapping the window sill as he started giggling hysterically, only irritating her more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Just go ahead and tell me so I can get back to bed,” she said impatiently, tapping her foot on the ground as she crossed her arms.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You're the nicest!” he said sarcastically as he laughed. Suddenly his room lit up when someone turned on the light, and she watched his eyes widen in fear as he turned to face whoever had done it, his hand whipping his curtains closed so she couldn't see him anymore.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ha!</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought. She hoped that he would be in big trouble! As she closed her window and got back into her bed, she had a smile on her face. She snickered to herself with the thought that </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ron</span>
  </em>
  <span> was probably being scolded right at that moment, and sleep came easily after that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next day around noon, Hermione was at her desk, finishing up her math work, when she heard a loud knocking sound on the outside of her house near her window. She hastily jumped up to move her curtains aside before pulling her window open and leaning her head out to look for the source of the noise. She gasped when she realized that her head was merely inches from Ron’s as he stood on a ladder with a hammer in his hand. He was hammering a large nail into the hardie board and his face was scrunched in concentration.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he saw her he stopped what he was doing and threw his hand over his heart. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Blimey</span>
  </em>
  <span> whatever-your-name-is! You just about gave me a heart attack! If I would have fallen just now and broken my neck, it would have been all your fault. Imagine how guilty you would have felt then!” he said as he grinned at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was still in shock that he was there, and couldn't yet formulate words as she stared hard at him. Her eyes turned back again to see what he was doing, and she saw a thin rope attached to the nail. She followed the rope, and saw that he had hammered the other side of the rope on his house, right outside his own window.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pulley system.” he said, pulling her attention back to him. He said it as if that was enough to explain to her what he was doing. When he got no response except a gape, he continued. “I’m going to attach this little pail to the rope.” He held up a small metal pail to show her. “And add these little pulleys to both sides-” He held up little metal pieces in his hand. “And we will be able to send things back and forth to each other. Brilliant right?” His grin was wide and proud as he waited for her to say something.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a moment of staring at him with a dumbfounded look on her face, she finally found her voice. “What makes you think that I will accept </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything </span>
  </em>
  <span>that you send me?” she asked him coolly. “What makes you think that I will ever send anything back to</span>
  <em>
    <span> you</span>
  </em>
  <span>?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shrugged. “You will,” he said airily, as if he were a hundred percent confident of this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His demeanor annoyed her and she scoffed. “You better pull that nail from my house, or I will </span>
  <em>
    <span>personally </span>
  </em>
  <span>do it!” she snapped at him before slamming her window shut angrily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn't check until later that evening, but when she peeked out of her window before crawling into bed, the rope was still there. When she followed it with her eyes, she saw that the little pail was now hanging from it, and it was resting on the side of Ron’s window. She sighed. She decided she would give him until tomorrow before telling her parents, and maybe even </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span>. That little ‘pulley system’ would be coming down- and soon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That very night, she was woken up again by a tapping on her window. She knew by the noise that it wasn't the airsoft gun again, but she had a strong suspicion as to what it was. Huffing, she crawled out of bed to open her window and her suspicion was correct as she saw the pail right in front of her. When she looked across from her, she saw Ron standing in his room with a satisfied smile on his face. She looked down and saw a folded piece of paper in the pail. Sighing, she grabbed it and read what had been scribbled onto it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What’s up?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She went to her desk and grabbed a pen, turning the paper over and writing her own message on the back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Leave me alone!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She went back to the window, and put the paper back in the pail. She grabbed the top piece or rope and pulled on it, and the pail quickly started to move back towards Ron. She glared at him as he grinned and mock clapped his hands at her, as if he were proud that she had figured out how to use the ‘pulley system’ that he had made.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the pail reached him, he took out the piece of paper and looked at it. He started laughing gleefully before grabbing another piece and writing on it. Before she knew it, she was picking that piece of paper out of the pail to read it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Admit it, this is cool.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She scribbled her reply.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why are you trying so hard to talk to me? I really don't like you, and I don't even think that you particularly like me. So what are you playing at?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sent it and his reply came quick. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I honestly don't know. But if we are destined to live directly across from each other, what's the harm in at least trying to be friends? What's your name?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I don't see us ever being friends, although I applaud your dedication. If you must know, my name is Hermione Granger. Can you please let me go to sleep now?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She watched him smile as he read her message before sending one back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Goodnight Hermione Granger.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*5 years later*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A light tapping on her window woke her up, but she was way too used to the noise at this point in her life to question what it could be. Wiping her eyes, she sleepily got out of bed and opened her window to grab the piece of paper out of the pail.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hey.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hey yourself. How was the party?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It was good. I snogged someone, but I don't remember her name.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione tried not to roll her eyes at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s great Ron. What a great example you are to the male species!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I know. It’s a gift I’m telling you! Why don't you ever come? I would love to introduce you to my friends from school.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’ve told you a million times, I have no interest in any of these parties that you attend. It’s bad enough just hearing about them! What would I do? Sit around and watch you snog other girls?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>...or I could snog you?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She lifted her eyes to see him wiggling his eyebrows at her and she couldn't help but let out a small laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m going to go ahead and decline that invitation as well Ronald Weasley. How much did you have to drink by the way? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A bit. But I won't be sick or anything. I know my limit now.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You shouldn't even have a limit. You shouldn't even be drinking at all.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You're no fun.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe not. But I’m responsible.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Being fun is better than being responsible.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Only if you're irresponsible.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I love it when you're irritated at me. It makes me laugh.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I hate it when you don't let me sleep. It makes me not laugh.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh c’mon Hermione. You know you love this thing that we have. What other pair of best friends can say that they can exchange notes at any given time?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I don't know, unlucky ones?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That hurts.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I think you’ll get over it soon, your brain will take you to another thought in a few seconds.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Do you think that I’m handsome?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I told you. And no.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The pain that you are inflicting on me right now is unreal.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You aren't ugly. You are just...Ron.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Other girls think that I’m handsome. Every party that I go to there's a new one interested. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe they're blind.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m going to ignore that. Tonight the girl that I was snogging was touching on my cock (over my jeans) That’s never happened before!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ronald Weasley, I swear to Merlin that I will close this window and ignore you for the rest of the night!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fine, fine! You're my best friend though, so I’m supposed to be able to tell you about new happenings in my life. Who else can I talk to about it if not for my BFF?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>If talking to me about a girl fondling you earns me the title of BFF, then I will gladly give it up. And as far as who you can talk to about it, I don't know and I don't care, just not me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I touched her tits too. They felt nice.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This is your last warning. I mean it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She watched him laugh as he read the note.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay okay. Even though I know that you would never ignore me. Even if you did, I would tap the pail against your window all bloody night until you paid attention to me. You know that I would.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>If you did that, I would simply cut the rope with scissors, and be done with you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You wouldn't.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I know.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Can I come over tomorrow?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I guess. Although I do have an essay to complete, so if you do come you have to be quiet.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That sounds fun. Me sitting in silence while you write an essay. Whoo hoo!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It wouldn't be the first time.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I know. Why don't you ever come over here?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Because your room is disgusting, you can't even see the floor!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s part of its appeal!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not appealing to me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Am I appealing to you?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I thought we addressed this earlier. What's with the questions? Do you doubt that you are good looking?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No. I know that I’m good looking. I was just wondering if you thought that I was.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why? You've never asked me that before tonight.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hmm. I don't know. Just a thought that I had while I was walking home.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay well now I’m intrigued.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I wondered what it would be like if we were to get married someday.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What would possibly possess you to think about that?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Like I said, I don't know. What do you think about that?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I think the idea is ludicrous. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ouch.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Nothing against you of course. It’s just that we are so different and it would never work out between us in that way.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>How do you know? We get along great don't we?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ron, we fight. Constantly.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But we still care a lot for each other.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Of course we do. But that doesn't make us compatible for marriage.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe it does.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It doesn't.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>For the record, I think that you are beautiful. Especially more so as you've gotten older.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Don't make this weird between us Ron.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m just telling you the truth.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fine. I’ll take the compliment. Thank you Ronald, you are quite handsome yourself.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>YES!!! I knew I would get it out of you eventually. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You are devious, you are.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s a bad thing?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Only the way that you do it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m serious Hermione, let’s get married.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m serious as well. No.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe one day I can change your mind.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why would you want to marry me anyway? Wouldn't you want to marry someone fun?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I think that you're fun! Just not in the ‘normal’ sense of the word.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m not even close to thinking about marriage anyway. Career first, and then marriage- once I’ve found the right man of course.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And I’m not him?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>…....…</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fine, I won't make you repeat yourself. But maybe we could snog sometime? Just so we can know what it’s like.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You already know what it’s like.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not with you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Goodnight Ron.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So that’s a maybe?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Goodnight Ron.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Goodnight Hermione.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The next morning, Hermione was at her desk going over her finished essay for the sixth time. Ron always made fun of her when she did this, but she had to make sure that her work was perfect before she could feel satisfied with it. Although she hadn't been outside, or even opened her window yet, she could tell that the weather was beautiful by the way that the sun was shining brightly onto her desk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was still slowly reading when she was interrupted by the familiar tapping noise on her window. With a sigh, she stood up and opened it. She took the piece of paper from the pail and she started to unfold it. As she did so, she looked over at Ron, and saw that his hands were clasped in front of him as if in prayer as he held them out to her. His eyes were wide, and his lower lip was stuck out dramatically as if he were a pouting child pleading with her to give him what he wanted. She couldn't help but giggle at how pathetic he looked before she looked down to read what he had written.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>HELP! EMERGENCY! Mum forcing me to clean my room. I NEED YOU!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looked back up at him and firmly shook her head no. She watched as he then stuck his lip even further out before pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. She glanced back at her desk. She really wanted to finish her work before she did anything else, so she sent him a note back to explain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Essay.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione, if I know you (and I do, thank you very much) you are already done and just going over it a million times before you are satisfied. Am I not more important to you than a bloody essay?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That's a tough question.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Get your arse over here Granger!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>15 minutes. Don't bug me before then.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Scouts honor!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seventeen minutes later, Hermione was knocking on the front door of the Weasley’s family home. She never knew which one of the family members would answer, but she hoped it wouldn't be one of the twins, as they tended to tease her about her friendship with Ron. To her relief, it was Ron’s younger sister Ginny who answered the knock, and when Ginny saw that it was Hermione standing there, her face broke out into a smirk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He broke you </span>
  <em>
    <span>again</span>
  </em>
  <span>, didn't he?” she asked as she took a bite out of an apple. “Why do you always fall for his pathetic victim act? He acted like mum had ordered him to conquer England this morning when she asked him to clean his room.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione laughed. “I don't know. I guess that I’m just weak.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Weak for </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Ginny mumbled under her breath as Hermione rolled her eyes and walked in past the younger girl, ignoring the remark.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron’s parents were sitting on the couch folding laundry while watching television, and both of them smiled at her as she walked into the house.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hermione dear! How are you?” Molly Weasley asked, her smile large and genuine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m doing great Mrs. Weasley. Just working on getting everything done so I can graduate early, so I’ve been a bit busy as of late.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mrs. Weasley shook her head. “I wish that you would pass some of your educational drive to Ronald! He certainly needs it. I swear, we don't know what we are going to </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> with that one,” the older woman mused as Arthur Weasley lightly laughed and nodded in agreement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I try Mrs. Weasley, I really do. You can lead a horse to water…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Molly laughed. “Right you are. Go ahead and head on up dear, I’ll apologize on his behalf for his attitude.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hermione will cheer him up!” Ginny piped behind her, a devious grin on her face. Hermione again ignored the youngest Weasley’s words as she started the walk upstairs to Ron’s room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she got to his door that had a large poster on it that said ‘GO AWAY’ she threw it open, walking in with no warning. Ron instantly jumped up and picked up a shirt off of the floor. She knew that he was trying to make it look as if he had been working, even though it was obvious that he had just been laying on his bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She laughed as he let out a breath of relief when he saw that it was her. “A knock would have been nice, Hermione!” he chastised. “What if you had walked in on me while I had been wanking or something?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She grimaced. “Then I would be forced to have my eyeballs surgically removed,” she replied as he let out a barking laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She again grimaced as she looked around at the disaster that was his room. “This is even worse than usual Ron!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> tell you that it was an emergency! Besides, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>willingly</span>
  </em>
  <span> walked into this situation Buttercup, so you can't back out now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I agreed under duress,” she replied as she bent down and picked up a piece of melted chocolate that was stuck to a dirty sock. She held it out in front of her with two fingers before walking it to a trash bag that was in the middle of the room. “And don't call me Buttercup.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Princess?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sunshine?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cutie Pie?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She exasperatedly let out a breath and glared at him. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione</span>
  </em>
  <span> will work.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, how about </span>
  <em>
    <span>Queen</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hermione.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If I’m queen, I get to tell you what to do. So CLEAN!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fiiinnne,” he grumbled as he started picking up his dirty clothes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They both threw themselves into cleaning then, hardly even talking as they worked together. Around noon though, Ron stopped, stating that he was absolutely starving. He left her alone in his room before heading downstairs to make them both a sandwich. She took the time to neatly arrange his stack of sports magazines, and then Ron returned with their lunch. He had already eaten half of his, and his mouth was full as he handed her a small plate. They settled on the floor next to each other, and when Hermione went to pick up her sandwich, she let out a huff of frustration. Someone had obviously taken a bite, as she saw a small half circle piece missing right out of the side.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ron</span>
  </em>
  <span>! Why did you take a bite out of my sandwich?!” she asked in an irritated voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He leaned over to study her sandwich, his face blank before looking back up at her innocently. “I don't see it,” he replied, now smirking at her as he sat back and took another bite out of his.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn't respond, but she carefully set her plate down before lunging at him. She grabbed at his hand that held his sandwich, trying to take a bite out of it in retaliation. He was startled, but he quickly realized what was happening and threw himself backwards, reaching his hand that was holding his food high up above his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It happened so fast, and suddenly Ron was lying back on the floor, and Hermione was right on top of him, the front of her body now pressed tightly against his. Forgetting completely about the sandwich, she froze, and when she looked down at his face, he looked entirely too pleased about their predicament, a wicked grin stretched across his face. She immediately scrambled off of him and sat back to where she had been sitting before, her cheeks now pink.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sat up as well and stuffed the rest of his sandwich in his mouth, still looking giddy but saying nothing. They ate in silence as they shared a large glass of water that he had also brought up earlier. When they were done with everything, they continued their task to get his room clean.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Three hours later they were finally finished, and Hermione laid back on the bed while Ron splayed himself out on his clean floor, both of them now exhausted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You owe me </span>
  <em>
    <span>big time</span>
  </em>
  <span> Weasley,” she told him as she stared down at him, but got no response. His arms were up and his hands clasped behind his head, his feet crossed at his ankles. She knew that he wasn't sleeping but his eyes were closed, and without even thinking about it, she found herself studying his face. She stared at the freckles that covered his unusually pale skin, skin that she knew burned extremely easily in the sun and made him tomato red in the summer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She studied the hair on his face, from his translucent eyelashes that she had always been intrigued by, to the light stubble of ginger hair on his jaw that now grew so fast that he had to shave almost every day. She noted how full his lips were and wondered if she had ever noticed before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her eyes roamed further down as she studied his strong looking neck before moving to his arms and his chest. She noticed that he had definitely grown there recently, his muscles straining against his shirt and making her feel a way that she couldn't quite understand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She watched the rise and fall of his middle as he breathed slow and even breaths. His shirt had slightly ridden up, and she could see the ginger hairs under his belly button that trailed down and disappeared under his jeans, jeans that were riding so low on his body that she could see the entirety of both of his protruding hip bones. She gulped as her eyes traveled lower and she suddenly had a desire to know what he looked like under those jeans, what he looked like </span>
  <em>
    <span>there.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She quickly threw herself back on his bed, the mattress squeaking a bit and her heart thumping madly in her chest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You okay up there?” she heard him ask.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she squeaked. “I’m fine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What had she just been </span>
  <em>
    <span>doing</span>
  </em>
  <span>? She had just been ogling </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ron.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She had been ogling her very best friend and wondering what he looked like starkers. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why</span>
  </em>
  <span> had she done that? She didn't feel that way about him...</span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>she?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She almost jumped at the sound of his voice and when she turned her head she saw that he was now sitting up and staring at her, his face confused.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing’s wrong,” she squeaked again, feeling betrayed by her own vocal cords.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He scrunched his face up looking even more confused. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost or something. My room’s not haunted is it?” He gave her a lopsided grin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not trusting her voice, she just looked at him and shook her head no.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oookay.” he said slowly as he laid back down again. “Girls are </span>
  <em>
    <span>barmy</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he muttered under his breath.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When’s your next party?” she asked, desperately wanting to change the subject, and not wanting him to ask her any more questions.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She let out a cry of surprise as he threw himself on top of the bed next to her. He was now splayed out on his stomach as he propped himself up on his elbows and looked down at her excitedly. “Tonight. Do you want to come with me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh no. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She should have seen this coming. He was constantly trying to get her to go with him to the parties that he often attended but she had never been interested. In fact, the thought of going to one terrified her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m still not interested in going to any parties Ron,” she said as she watched his face fall. “Sorry,” she added.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Awww man, you really got my hopes up there for a second.” He threw his body down on the bed and now his face was on the pillow next to hers, his breath tickling her ear as she stared up at the ceiling. He was so close that if she were to turn her head, their faces would only be inches apart. She stayed stock still, hardly even breathing as she contemplated on how to get out of this position. She asked herself just what the big deal was, after all they </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>been close like this a million times before, but this was the first time that she had felt uneasy about it. Was it because she had for the first time </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> looked at him, and noticed that he no longer had the body of a boy, but rather the body of a man? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wish you would come with me sometime,” she heard his deep voice rumbling very close to her ear, further concreting this seemingly new discovery that Ronald Weasley, </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ronald Weasley was no longer an annoying little ginger kid, but something much more. “I think you would have fun,” he continued, causing goosebumps to erupt on her skin. “I would protect you if anyone decided to be mean or get handsy, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> that I would.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know,” she said quickly. “That’s not the reason- I just-I've never gotten along with people my age.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sat up again and looked at her. He was </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> close. “You get along with </span>
  <em>
    <span>me,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he said softly, a small smile on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You're...</span>
  <em>
    <span>different</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” she replied.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He licked his lips and her heart stopped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How so?” he practically whispered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-I don't know,” she replied, her voice also almost a whisper.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He slowly leaned in closer and she sat up, practically jumping out of his bed and going to grab her sweater that she had been wearing earlier off of his dresser. “I need to get home actually. Mum wanted me to help with dinner tonight. Let me know how the party was when you get home okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron looked at her almost sadly. “Right. I’ll use the pulley system to let you know how it goes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded. “Great. See you later!” she said cheerily as she quickly made her way out of his house, thankfully not running into anyone on her way out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Heerrmmmiooonnneeeeeeee!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione’s eyes popped open at the sound of Ron’s voice yelling out her name. She glanced at the wall and saw that it was three o’clock in the morning. She practically ran to the window and threw it open as Ron continued yelling out for her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She saw him stumbling around in the grass on her side of the fence, his face smiling up at her happily when he realized that she was there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stay right there and be </span>
  <em>
    <span>quiet,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she demanded. He pretended to zip his mouth shut before collapsing into a fit of giggles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She quickly and quietly ran downstairs and out of her back door. She was confused, as he usually just used the pulley system to contact her after he got back from a party. He had never gone into her yard and yelled for her like he had tonight and she wondered why he would start</span>
  <em>
    <span> now.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Once outside, she made her way around the side of the house and spotted him leaning up against the hardie board, his eyes closed, a smile still on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ron, what are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>doing</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” she asked as she made her way to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He opened his eyes and his mouth dropped in surprise, as if he hadn't expected her to be there in front of him. Before she could ask him again, his arms were around her as he pulled her body to his, wrapping her in an extremely tight hug. “HERMIONE! I miiiiised youuuu. I missed you s’much!” he slurred, rubbing his face into the side of her head, nuzzling his nose into her hair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She tried to ignore the emotions that she was experiencing, both from his words and from the fact that his body was very snugly against her own. “Why are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>out </span>
  </em>
  <span>here Ron? And </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> did you drink so much?” she demanded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I had to seeee you and the pulley wasn't going to cut it,” he replied, still nuzzling into her, not even hiding the fact that he was sniffing her hair. “Y’smell so gooood! I want to cut’ff some of your hair so I can shove it right up my nose and smell you all of the time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous he was being. She managed to pull his arms off of her to step back and look at him. His face was flushed, and his eyes were a bit droopy, the big goofy grin still there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> drunk Ronald. You're really going to regret this in the morning you know,” she said softly as she tenderly swept his fringe to the side, his grin growing even wider at her action.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Probably,” he agreed. “I won't regret coming to see you though. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>always</span>
  </em>
  <span> want to see youuu Hermione Granger.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Drunk Ron is good at flattery. I’ll have to keep that in my mental notes.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He tapped her head with his finger. “You certainly can, your brain in there is too smart for its own damn good.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She wished that were all the way true. If it was, maybe she would be able to figure out why all of a sudden she was suddenly seeing him in a new light. Earlier that night she had tossed and turned, unable to sleep from thinking about him, and questioning herself just why that was. She had thought about how it would feel to </span>
  <em>
    <span>kiss</span>
  </em>
  <span> him, to feel his lips moving together with hers. She had never kissed anyone before, but she found she suddenly really </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> wanted to try; but not just kiss </span>
  <em>
    <span>anyone</span>
  </em>
  <span>, to kiss </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Ron, her best friend. She had tried to tell herself that it was just hormones, but even after she had brought her hand out of her knickers, still breathing heavily from her orgasm, the feeling had persisted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For some reason, she had a nagging suspicion that she had felt this way about him for a while now, but had internally kept that fact a secret, even from </span>
  <em>
    <span>herself. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The main question that she had battled right before drifting off, was what was she going to </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> about her newfound feelings? Would she be able to tell him how she felt? Even if she did find the courage to tell him, would he even feel the same way? He was always joking with her, but had never actually told her that he had serious feelings for her. He often said and wrote ‘love ya’ but had never said ‘I love you’. He constantly was talking about other girls, and did not have a filter about it either. When they went somewhere together, he was always pointing out to her girls that he found attractive and describing things that he would love to be able to do with them if given the chance. She had never been a fan of this, as it made her a little uncomfortable, but she had a feeling that from now on it would make her even more uncomfortable, but for a completely different reason.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Earth to Hermione.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She jerked her head to once again look up at him. He was a good head taller, and he was looking down at her. The smile was still on his face, but a little less wide now, as if he were wondering why she had spaced out as she had.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you walk home?” she asked him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shook his head. “Naaah. Dave drove me home.” As if knowing what she was about to ask, he added. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>No</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he wasn't driving drunk, he didn't drink. Tonight, he was Designated Driver Dave.” He started laughing loudly. “Shite, I should get him a badge that says that. It would be fuckin’ </span>
  <em>
    <span>hilarious</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She leaned back, pulling his hand, wordlessly urging him to walk with her. “Come on. I’ll help you get to bed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he didn't follow, and instead, he pulled her back to him before resting his hands around her waist. “What would I do without you?” he asked quietly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She gulped as she watched the way that he was staring at her. Ron was funny. He was constantly laughing, and his demeanor was always easy and lighthearted. One thing that Ron Weasley never was, was </span>
  <em>
    <span>serious. </span>
  </em>
  <span>But at that moment, his face held not even the hint of a smile as his eyes shifted up and down from her eyes to her mouth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She knew what he was going to do before he did it, but even so, when she felt his lips touch hers, she let out a small gasp before closing her eyes and responding. He was being soft with her, </span>
  <em>
    <span>so soft</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and she wondered how that was even possible with how drunk that he currently was. She put both of her hands on top of his shoulders, and lifted her body up just a little more. One of his hands came up from her waist to cup her cheek as he deepened the kiss and let out a small moan into her mouth. When his tongue tentatively tried to enter, she welcomed it, the feeling way better than she had imagined it would be. He tasted a bit like alcohol, but under that, she could sense what he </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> tasted like, and it was intoxicating. She leaned further into him as the hand that was on her face moved to the back of her head, the other hand tightening his grip on her waist, moving her pyjama top up a bit so he was touching her bare skin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally, they broke away, both panting and staring at each other incredulously, as if neither of them could believe what had just happened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Woah</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Ron said, but without any of the humor that usually accompanied it when he said that word.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stepped back from him, needing to get further away so she could think straight. It turned out to be a good choice, because just a moment later, Ron collapsed on his hands and knees and started to vomit violently in the grass. She stood a safe distance away, but knelt down and stuck her arm out to lightly rub on his back, letting him know that she was there with him. This went on for several minutes, with dry heaves wracking his body even after his stomach was empty.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he was done, he sat back against her house, his eyes closed as he breathed heavily, his skin now coated in a light sheen of sweat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She allowed him to compose himself, listening until his breathing became more regular before she reached down and tried to pull him to his feet. She quickly found that it was a losing battle though, as she wasn't near strong enough to pull him up, and he wasn't helping her at all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Noooo,” he moaned, not bothering to open his eyes as he slumped further into the wall. “Too dizzy. Don't wanna mooove.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She dropped his hand. “Okay. I’ll be right back,” she said gingerly. “Don't move,” she ordered, even though she knew that he wasn't going to be going anywhere willingly.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The twins' room was on the first floor, and she quickly walked around to the other side of the house to lightly tap on their window. Fred (or was it George?) opened the curtain to sleepily peer out at her. She didn't even have to say anything, she just gestured to her house, and he nodded before turning around. Less than a minute later, both twins were walking out the front door, wearing matching pyjamas. Normally that would be humorous to her, but concern for Ron made her hardly even notice it. She led the twins to their youngest brother, and they quickly pulled him up, one twin on each side of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll come over to check on you first thing tomorrow morning okay?” Hermione told him as the twins walked him in their house, Ron only moaning incoherently in response.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <span>When she got back into her room, her thoughts were filled with even more questions. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why </span>
  </em>
  <span>had he kissed her? She knew that he often ended up snogging other girls when he was out, but he never seemed to be emotionally attached to any of them. Was it the same thing with her? An extremely unpleasant thought entered her mind then. What if he had snogged </span>
  <em>
    <span>another</span>
  </em>
  <span> girl at the party before coming home and snogging </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>? The thought made her feel dirty, and she was determined to ask him tomorrow; to ask him a </span>
  <em>
    <span>lot </span>
  </em>
  <span>of questions actually. She would get to the bottom of this.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The next morning Hermione was extremely nervous as she got dressed, her heart fluttering nervously in her chest at the thought of going over to the Weasley home. She tried on several shirts before realizing that she was only doing so because she wanted to look good for Ron and she let out a small laugh as she internally chastised herself. Ron was her best friend, had been so for </span>
  <em>
    <span>years </span>
  </em>
  <span>now. He had seen her at her absolute worst many times, and she had never cared about what she looked like in front of him before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘That was before you realized that you had feelings for him and before he kissed you’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>She reminded herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shaking her head, she threw the other shirts on her bed, leaving on the one that she was already wearing. She refused to be the kind of girl who only dressed a certain way to appeal to the opposite sex. (well-in her case only </span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span> person of the opposite sex, but still)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She opened her window and pulled the pail towards her before bending down and scribbling a quick note to warn him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Coming over.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Using the rope, she repeatedly tapped the pail against his window for about a minute, but he didn't come.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Undeterred, she turned around and headed downstairs to find her parents sitting at the kitchen table, drinking their coffee and having light conversation. While Ron’s family usually had breakfast first thing in the mornings, her family usually chose to relax and drink coffee until they were fully awake before eating anything. She gave them a quick good morning before telling them that Ron needed her for something and headed out. Her parents cared about Ron, but she knew that they weren't the biggest fans of his troublesome behaviour. In the beginning, they had been hesitant to let her spend all of her free time with him, but they had soon found that he wasn't causing any negative reactions in their daughter, and had let go of the subject.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she made it to his house she was still nervous as she knocked on the front door and hoped that he was feeling much better than he had been feeling last night. She was giddy and optimistic, and wasn't quite sure how their talk would </span>
  <em>
    <span>go</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but she was ready for it. Seconds later the door was opened by Arthur Weasley, his usually goofy face smiling when he saw that it was her, but she could tell that he wasn't at all oblivious to Ron’s partying last night.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good morning Hermione!” he gave her a knowing look. “He’s pretty much grounded until the end of time.” Hermione gave him a small nod of understanding, her heart plummeting. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>However</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Molly knew that you would be showing up and she figures that allowing you to see him in the state that he’s in right now will be a pretty good punishment.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione gave him a grateful smile as she stepped inside, the smell of bacon coming from the kitchen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She says that you can go see him for a half hour or so, but then he isn't allowed to see anyone or go anywhere except school for a week.” The older man sighed, “I know that it really isn't fair for </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> when he pulls stunts like these, but as his parents we can't always just let these things slide.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione nodded. She understood perfectly, but she couldn't help but feel disappointed. She knew that they still had the pulley system though, and that alleviated some of her frustration. Fortunately his parents had never tried to stop him from using it, even when he was grounded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She quickly made her way upstairs, knowing that her time was limited. She softly knocked on Ron’s door before opening it, finding him in bed and still in the clothes that he had been wearing last night. One of his arms was slung over his eyes, the other resting on his stomach, an empty bucket on the floor next to his bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ron?” she said quietly, as she walked to his bed and sat down right on the side of it near his shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bloody hell Hermione, this is not the time for a lecture,” he groaned, already giving her attitude.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She pursed her lips, feeling angry-this was already not starting off well. “I didn't come to </span>
  <em>
    <span>lecture</span>
  </em>
  <span> you Ronald, I told you that I was going to come check on you first thing, so that’s what I’m doing!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He raised his arm a bit to look at her. “So I wrote with you last night? I asked Ginny to check, but she didn't find any new papers anywhere…” he trailed off, looking confused.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her heart dropped as she swallowed. “Well, no, technically we </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn't </span>
  </em>
  <span>write-you actually came to the side of my house and called for me until I came down...</span>
  <em>
    <span>remember</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” She watched as his eyes furrowed as if he were thinking really hard about it. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>don't</span>
  </em>
  <span> remember anything at all do you?” she asked as she let out a sigh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He slowly shook his head, his face now looking at her nervously. “No, sorry-I don't.” He gulped. “Did I...did I happen to say anything</span>
  <em>
    <span>-weird</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” she looked at him, confused, as he looked away from her, sitting his body up a bit. “I mean- did I say anything that was, you know- </span>
  <em>
    <span>out </span>
  </em>
  <span>of the ordinary?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn't know why he was asking her that or why he seemed to be afraid of her answer but she hoped that he would hurry up and get to the point. “Well, not really,” she replied. “You told me that you missed me, and you called me smart.” He gave her a small smile. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>also</span>
  </em>
  <span> reassured me that Dave wasn't drunk when he drove you home, and then you had the brilliant idea to get him a badge for it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He lightly chuckled.“That's all?” he asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She smirked. “No. You told me that I smelled good, and you were kind of...sniffing my hair.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He grimaced as she giggled. “You told me that you wanted to cut some of it off and shove it up your nose so you would always be able to smell me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked up at her, disbelievingly, “I did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded her head, laughing at the embarrassed look on his face. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ughhh,” he groaned as he ran both of his hands slowly down his face. “And that’s it?” he asked again, looking at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She paused. She had been so ready to ask him why he had kissed her, but she had also been counting on him </span>
  <em>
    <span>remembering</span>
  </em>
  <span> doing so. Should she even tell him about it now? She didn't even know what had been going through his mind when he had done it..maybe he didn't feel that way about her at all and had just wanted to snog someone and she was just </span>
  <em>
    <span>there</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Feeling discouraged, she figured that it would be best if she didn't say anything, at least for the time being.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded her head, trying to hide the fact that she was upset as he laid his head back again and closed his eyes, still obviously feeling cruddy from his hangover and oblivious to her inner turmoil. She told him bye, and that she would wait for him to use the pulley system whenever he felt better. He smiled at her and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze before she got up and headed home.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next week went by pretty normally. Hermione did her work all day when Ron was at school, and even for a time after he had gotten home. They wrote each other off and on every evening, and she had to deal with all of his complaints about how boring his life was now that he was grounded as she repeatedly reminded him that it was his own fault. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their banter was just the same as it always had been, and she knew that he hadn't been lying when he told her that he didn't remember their kiss because surely, he would be acting differently towards her if he did. She eventually decided that she </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>going to tell him, although she wasn't quite sure how she was going to go about it. She did know though, that she wanted to do so face to face, and knew that she would have to wait until he wasn't grounded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the week was over, he had rushed over to her house and hugged her tight, twirling her around her room as she squealed at him to put her down while he told her how much he had missed her. The following week she started watching him closely, hoping that he would make a clear move, or at least broach the subject about how he felt about her. If he did that, she would easily be able to tell him the truth of that night, but he did neither of those things so she decided that she was going to take matters fully into her own hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She decided that she was going to wait until the perfect moment and just</span>
  <em>
    <span> go</span>
  </em>
  <span> for it and kiss him to see what his reaction would be- but unfortunately, the perfect moment never came. Either one of them was busy, or he had a dentist appointment, or his siblings decided to hang out with them while they were together- there was always </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> stopping her from doing it. She thought about using the pulley system and asking him to meet her outside after everyone was asleep, but she always lost her nerve at the last second and didn't.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She felt like she had hit a brick wall and she was growing more and more agitated about it as the days passed by. She was constantly going back and forth in her head on whether or not she thought that her feelings were reciprocated, but she </span>
  <em>
    <span>still </span>
  </em>
  <span>had no idea. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Two weeks after their kiss, she got her answer in the cruelest way possible.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Saturday had rolled around again, and he let her know that he was going to go out again for the first time since he had gotten grounded. As usual, he invited her to go with him, and as usual, she had declined. For a brief moment, she thought about asking him to </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> go and to stay with her instead. That way, she would finally be able to get him alone and possibly kiss him again, but something stopped her from asking. He seemed excited to be able to get out again and she doubted that he would be happy to accept her offer, even though she was certain that he would stay if she asked him to. So she walked with him to the end of the street, making him promise not to drink too much and telling him to have fun. When Dave’s car pulled up, he gave her a quick hug before jumping in the backseat, giving her a small wave as they drove away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Later that night, Hermione was startled from her sleep by the sound of the pail tapping on her window, only this time it was clear that Ron was frantically pulling the rope, as it clanged loudly and much faster than it usually did.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She rolled out of the bed, looking across to see Ron standing there, the moon illuminating his face as he gave her a smile as if he had a secret he was about to share. Pulling out the piece of paper, she already had a feeling that she wasn't going to like what he had to say, but when she read the words, she felt her heart constrict and she practically stopped breathing. As hard as it was, she forced herself to look neutral, knowing that he could see her reaction to the words he had written.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She quickly turned sideways, breathing heavily as she bent down, pretending to look for a pen so she could give herself some time to compose herself. As she looked through the drawers on her desk, she read the piece of paper in her hand again, hoping that she had just misread it the first time, but it still said the same thing that it had the first time, written in Ron’s sloppy scrawl.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Guess who lost their virginity tonight???</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her hands shaking, she turned the paper over and wrote on the back, clinging onto the hope that he would not say that he was talking about himself, but deep down she already knew the answer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I don't know, Dave?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She watched him read it and give a small laugh, shaking his finger at her, telling her that her guess was wrong before writing and sending back another note.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Dave’s girlfriend Charlotte brought her friend (name’s Kimmy) to the party tonight and she and I really hit it off. By the end of the night, she was pulling me into the bathroom, and I ended up shagging her right on the bathroom counter- (I've never felt more grateful for my height in my life! haha)</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione stifled back a sob as she read the note that confirmed her fear. Bending back down to her desk she wrote him back, hoping that he was far enough away not to spot the tears in her eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Good for you Ron. I’m going back to bed.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She quickly sent the pail back to him before shutting her window and closing the curtains, not missing the confused look on his face as she did so. She walked a few steps and collapsed on her bed, crying the tears that she had been keeping at bay. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>How </span>
  </em>
  <span>could she have been so stupid?! Of </span>
  <em>
    <span>course</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ron didn't see her the way that she saw him, he never</span>
  <em>
    <span> had</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She felt foolish and embarrassed that he had reduced her to be the kind of girl that cried over boys, as she had always thought that she was above that. She was heartbroken, but now she was extremely relieved that he hadn’t remembered their kiss, because she would have been humiliated if he had. She was also glad that she hadn't had the opportunity to kiss him a second time, as he probably would have just laughed at her if she had tried.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She froze when she heard the sound of the pail knocking against the window again, although this time it was quiet, as if he was hesitant to do so. Ignoring it, she sunk further into her blankets and did not hear anything after that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She tossed and turned, images running through her mind of Ron hoisting a faceless girl on top of the bathroom counter, her long tan legs wrapped around his waist as he thrust into her, his mouth against her neck as she threw her head back. She imagined that the girl was beautiful and had long straight hair, nothing like her own bushy mess of curls. She punched her pillow, seething at her own mind for conjuring this scene, her tears resuming. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was finally able to stop herself from thinking about it, her mind instead going through all of her memories, trying to pinpoint a specific instance that would lead her to believe that Ron cared about her as more than a friend. The truth was, she really couldn't. He was the biggest flirt that she had ever known, but that had always just been his personality. He made remarks about her all of the time, he complimented her, he hugged her, he held her hand when they walked- but that was it. He had never said anything in a serious manner that would lead her to believe that he cared for her in that way. There </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> the kiss of course, but he had been extremely drunk when it had happened and she refused to use just one drunken kiss as proof of his feelings. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She turned to stare at her clock. It had been over an hour since Ron had told her his ‘news’ and she was now curious what he had written back. She slowly crept to the window and peeked out between the curtains. She saw that his window and his curtains were closed as well. She quickly opened her window, plucking out the piece of paper and hurriedly reading it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I don't know why you're upset Hermione. I thought you’d be happy for me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She angrily grabbed a piece of paper of her own.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You're ridiculous! I hope that you caught an STD.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She put it in the pail and moved it towards his window, stopping when it was near the middle before sighing and pulling it back. She took her note out and threw it into the trashcan before replacing his and putting everything as she had found it before closing her window so it looked like she hadn't read what he had written.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Truth be told, she really had no right to be angry with him, he was only her </span>
  <em>
    <span>friend</span>
  </em>
  <span> and he was a single, sixteen year old who could make his own choices. She crawled back into her bed, her chest aching, the hope of him returning her feelings now completely gone. Several hours later, she finally dozed off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It seemed to be only minutes later that she was woken by the sound of a light tapping noise, followed by someone walking into her room and shutting the door behind them. She opened her eyes to find Ron standing there, looking down at her curiously. She shot up in bed, everything from last night coming back to her at once. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she sat up, she watched him sharply take in a breath and press his lips tightly together, his eyes instantly going to the ceiling. She looked down at herself, quickly finding the reason for his behavior. Since she had been tossing and turning all night, the spaghetti strapped shirt that she had been wearing had twisted around, and right now, almost the entirety of her left breast was exposed. She hastily reached down and fixed it, her face burning.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good?” Ron asked, still staring at the ceiling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She let out a grunt in reply, throwing herself back onto the bed and completely covering herself with her blanket.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She heard him chuckle as he walked over and sat next to her, his weight making the bed lean and making her leg touch his. She quickly pulled it away and scooted closer to the wall.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hermione, it’s okay. It’s not like I haven't seen a boob before,” he said, his voice on the verge of laughter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She pulled her blanket down a bit to glare at him. “You haven't seen </span>
  <em>
    <span>mine</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And they are called </span>
  <em>
    <span>breasts.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He smiled. “Ooh. I like it when you talk dirty Hermione.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stuck her arm out to hit him on the shoulder and he pretended that she had hurt him, grabbing his arm and falling backwards, his upper body stretched across her as he played dead.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Irritated, she flopped around, trying to make him get up, but he was completely still, his eyes closed and his tongue hanging out of his mouth, his weight heavy and unmoving on top of her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ron, get </span>
  <em>
    <span>off</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” she said angrily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He opened his eyes and pulled himself up, looking at her with a puzzled look on his face. “What's wrong with you lately? First last night, and now this morning? In the whole time that I have known you, I have </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> woken up before you. Now I’m worried.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just don't feel good right now Ron.” she huffed as she turned her body towards the wall, unable to look at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To her dismay he laid down behind her, his hand softly running up and down her bare arm. “Hermione, what’s wrong? You know that you can tell me anything right? he said gently, his voice sincere.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her eyes blurred over, the wall becoming fuzzy as she gulped and tried not to break down in front of him. The feeling of his large warm hand on her was only making her feel worse as she remembered that the same hand had been all over another girl just last night. No. She most certainly could </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> tell him ‘anything’. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her body shook as she took a deep breath. “I- I just have cramps, that’s all.” she told him quietly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn't say anything for a few seconds. “Well...that might explain the behavior then as well.” he replied, his voice more concerned than humored.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She blinked back all of her tears before finally turning around to face him, their noses now only a few inches apart. They stared at each other, his face sympathetic as he reached over and brushed a few stray curls away from in front of her eyes. With a ripple of pain across her heart, she realized that </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> was the moment that she had been waiting for; this was the perfect opportunity to just go for it and kiss him. She almost started crying again at the cruelty of it all. She had </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally </span>
  </em>
  <span>got to this point, only now she couldn't do anything about it because he had already had </span>
  <em>
    <span>sex</span>
  </em>
  <span> with someone else. There was no way that she could kiss him now, no matter how much she wanted to.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She watched him bite his lip as he looked to be deep in thought. “D’you need anything? I can go get you some meds or something- Want breakfast in bed? I think we have some leftover toast…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, nothing,” she said quickly. “Thanks,” she added.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His eyes flitted between her own and she wondered if he was suspicious as to how she felt, but then he sat up, and she knew that he had bought her act. He rubbed the back of his neck, clearing his throat. “So what are you going to do today?” he asked casually.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She felt relieved at the normal question as she sat up, making sure that her shirt was in the appropriate place.. “A few more revisions. Since I’m homeschooling and can go at my own pace, I’ll </span>
  <em>
    <span>officially</span>
  </em>
  <span> be done with high school in only one month,” she told him, her voice not near as cheerful at her news as it should have been.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She watched his eyes widen as he slowly shook his head back and forth, bewildered. “You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>amazing</span>
  </em>
  <span> you know?” he said truthfully. “I can hardly comprehend your level of achievements. You're going to be running the fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>world </span>
  </em>
  <span>one day, and I cannot </span>
  <em>
    <span>wait</span>
  </em>
  <span> to see it Hermione Granger.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her eyes welled up with tears. He may not see her as someone that he wanted to be in a romantic relationship with, but she knew that he did care deeply for her and had meant every word that he had just said. She threw herself in his arms, nuzzling her head against his chest as he wrapped his arms tightly around her, his hands running up and down her back. They were quiet for a bit before he spoke.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just promise me something.” he said quietly, his face against the top of her head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm?” she replied, inhaling his scent, enjoying the warmth of his body against hers. She knew that she couldn't have him, but she would take what she could get while she could.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Promise that when you're all big and successful- at </span>
  <em>
    <span>whatever</span>
  </em>
  <span> you end up doing, that you won't forget the small people like me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She leaned back to look at him. “What do you mean by that Ron?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well-” his eyes moved to the wall and he now looked a bit uncomfortable. “I just mean that you're destined for greater things-</span>
  <em>
    <span>far</span>
  </em>
  <span> greater things than I am. And one day, you will be way more important, then you won’t need a tall and annoying ginger as your best friend anymore.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She shook her head no, leaning back into his chest. “You're wrong.” she said softy. “I’ll </span>
  <em>
    <span>always</span>
  </em>
  <span> need a tall and annoying ginger as my best friend. No one else could ever take his place.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He paused. “You mean that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded her head, feeling his arms tighten around her further as he leaned down and kissed the side of her forehead. When they let go of each other, the moment was gone. He ended up staying for the day, flipping through sports magazines silently as she did her work.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Several things! I absolutely LOVE this chapter, and would <em> love </em> to hear if you like it as well! </p><p> </p><p>I am working on Timelines as well, but I’m at a difficult chapter so I will (probably) be getting a few chapters of this one out before finishing that one!</p><p> </p><p>Also, I love cinnamon flavored candy and it’s 4AM and I’m tired af and delirious and<em> I love you </em>! Remember to be a good person and make good choices! That’s all! Enjoy :)</p><p> </p><p>o</p><p>O</p><p>o</p><p> </p><p>Hermione woke up from a dreamless deep sleep to a warm body laying next to her and whisper-singing in her ear.</p><p> </p><p>“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Her-my-neeeeee! Happy birthday to youuuuu!”</p><p> </p><p>Stunned, she opened her eyes to find that it was pitch black in her room. She wasn't sure what time it was, but she knew that it was definitely <em>way</em> too early for her to deal with the fact that Ron was laying on her bed in the dark, smelling like fresh deodorant and mint toothpaste. She had a strong urge to just shut him up with her mouth, pull his body on top of hers, and snog him senseless. She knew that he didn't feel that way for her though, so like she had been doing for the last five months or so, she forced those urges away and didn't allow herself to think of them; at least not while he was near.</p><p> </p><p>“Ron, what are you <em> doing </em>here?” she groaned, rubbing her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s your birthday! Besides, I thought you would be happy to wake up with a handsome man in your bed.”</p><p> </p><p>“You can't possibly mean yourself?” she joked.</p><p> </p><p>She couldn't see him, but she could hear the smile in his voice. “Of course I meant me, doofus.”</p><p> </p><p>Ignoring his name-calling, she lifted her head a bit, hoping to make an educated guess as to the time, but she still had no idea. “What time is it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Five o’clock in the morning.”</p><p> </p><p>She threw her head back down into the pillow, a frustrated noise coming out of her mouth. “Ronald Weasley, <em> why </em> are you in my <em> bed </em>at five o’clock in the freaking morning? And how did you get into my house?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s your <em> birthday </em> , I have a <em> surprise, </em> and the key is under the doormat. Easy peasy.”</p><p> </p><p>“You know that I have to get up for class in an hour!”</p><p> </p><p>“Nope! You're skipping class today and <em> I’m </em>skipping school,” he explained as if she were dense.</p><p> </p><p>Hermione had successfully graduated high school four months ago and one month ago, had started taking classes at the university in town, deciding to go there for her first two years before transferring somewhere else to further her education. She wasn't quite ready to move from her parents house just yet, and if she were being honest with herself, she didn't much fancy the idea of leaving Ron either.</p><p> </p><p>“I don't <em> skip </em> class Ron. Even on my birthday.”</p><p> </p><p>“You have no choice in the matter,” he said matter of factly.</p><p> </p><p>“I certainly <em> do </em> have a choice, and I’m <em> choosing </em>to tell you no.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hermiiooonneee,” he whined. “Just skip <em> one </em> day. I’ve been saving all of my allowance for the last few months <em> just </em> so I can spend it all on you, well, <em> us, </em>today.”</p><p> </p><p>She laughed. “How chivalrous of you Ronald.”</p><p> </p><p>“It <em> really </em> is,” he agreed.</p><p> </p><p>She sighed. It was always extremely hard for her to tell him no, especially when he was begging her like he was now, but the thought of her just skipping class made her feel senseless, even though she knew that she was already a chapter ahead and her work wouldn’t really suffer from a day off.</p><p> </p><p>“Ron…”</p><p> </p><p>“Please please please please please pleaasseeee!” he pleaded.</p><p> </p><p>“You are such a child! You sound like you are whining for a toy at the toy store.”</p><p> </p><p>“What’s wrong with whining for a toy at the toy store?” he laughed. “Come on Hermione, I <em> know </em> that deep down you want to take a day off and spend it with your most favourite person in the entire world.” </p><p> </p><p>“No, I really don't.”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” he paused. “You asked for it!” He leaped up and straddled her, tickling her sides as she breathlessly laughed and tried to throw him off of her, but was miserably failing at doing so. He paused then, his hands on either side of her, and she realized that with all of the squirming that she had done, her t-shirt had ridden up, and his hands were now on her bare skin. She still couldn't see anything, and her heart beat furiously inside of her chest at how quiet and still he was being. She wondered just what he was thinking, as the only noise coming from him was his breathing above her. Slowly, he started moving his thumbs back and forth over her skin, as if appreciating the feel of it before abruptly stopping as if he had been doing something that he shouldn't have been doing. Without warning he started tickling her again, and the sudden change made her throw her knee up violently, hitting him hard in between his legs. </p><p> </p><p>“Fuuuuck!” he groaned as he immediately rolled off of her and fell next to her on the bed.</p><p> </p><p>She quickly sat up.“Ohmygod! ohmygod, Ron are you <em> okay </em>?!” she asked, absolutely mortified that she had just hurt him like that.</p><p> </p><p>She just got a low moan in response. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m <em> so </em> sorry. I swear I didn't mean to! You just took me by surprise and-”</p><p> </p><p>“S’okay,” he mumbled. “Just lay down and hold still-please.”</p><p> </p><p>Slowly, she did what he had asked. </p><p> </p><p>After a minute, she couldn't stand the silence anymore. “Ron?”</p><p> </p><p>“Mm?”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“Getting there,” he said and she instantly felt relieved, as the sound of his voice was much less strangled than it had been before. “But since you just really, <em> really </em> hurt me, you are now absolutely obligated to spend your day with me.”</p><p> </p><p>She smiled, glad that she could hear the joking in his words. “Okay, but only because I actually do feel really bad.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hold me until I feel better,” he demanded and she obliged, scooting closer to him and lightly stroking his hair with her fingers. She felt him scoot even closer so his face was between her shoulder and her neck, his breath hot on her skin, his arm slung over the top of her torso. Again, she forced down the urge to grab at him, reminding herself that he was hurting right now and that it would be awful for her to try and take advantage of the situation like that. They laid together for several minutes; it was quiet yet comfortable, and again she found herself wondering what he was thinking. </p><p> </p><p>Finally, he moved back, and she felt him sit up and throw his legs over the side of her bed. “Right,” he started, his voice sounding a bit odd, but not like the hurt one he had used earlier. “So- you're going to want to wear something on the warmer side, but not <em> too </em> warm. Bring a hair tie in case it’s windy, and maybe a pillow and blanket for the trip.”</p><p> </p><p>She too sat up. “Where are we going?”</p><p> </p><p>“I <em> told </em> you it was a surprise,” he chastised, reaching out and fumbling around until he found her lamp and switched it on. He turned to look at her, and she was sure that she looked like a mess as she usually did first thing in the morning, but instead of laughing at her, he gave her a small smile, his eyes lighting up at the sight of her. Before she could question what it meant, he stood up. “We’re taking your car, and I’m driving. Hurry up and get dressed and I’ll be waiting for you outside.” With that, he walked out of her room, quietly closing the door behind him.</p><p> </p><p>o</p><p>O</p><p>o</p><p> </p><p>Ten minutes later, Hermione was laying back in the passenger seat, her head on a pillow, and a blanket wrapped around her body. Before they had left, Ron had insisted on ‘tucking her in’ and making sure she was snug before putting her seatbelt on and telling her to go to sleep because they had a long drive ahead of them. </p><p> </p><p>She closed her eyes while he drove, but her mind was already wide awake, excited and curious about what Ron had planned for the day so she didn't actually sleep. About thirty minutes after they left, Hermione felt Ron rest his palm on her knee, lightly drumming his fingers to the beat of the music as he hummed along. The action made her smile, and she cracked her eyes open to watch him. He was so relaxed looking, and she almost sighed outwardly at the sight of him like this, her chest filling up with what could only be described as love. She knew that her feelings for him were extensive, but until then she had disallowed herself from admitting just <em> how </em> extensive that they were. In that moment, she knew for absolute certainty that she was foolishly and desperately <em> in love </em> with her best friend.</p><p> </p><p>The reality of admitting this to herself caused her to feel overwhelmingly happy for half a second, before feeling the hopelessness of her situation crash around her. Ron still had yet to say or do anything that would lead her to believe that he felt the same for her as she did for him. </p><p> </p><p>He was still going to parties almost every weekend, and occasionally would come home with stories of him messing around with other girls. Every time that he came home to tell her things he had done, or girls he had hooked up with, she had to pretend that it didn't bother her or make her feel like her heart was crumbling in her chest; even though that was the truth. But once her window and curtains were again closed, she would lay in her bed and sometimes cry, imagining a world where those girls didn't exist, a world where he would return her feelings, and one where they were happy together.  </p><p> </p><p>He had yet to get a girlfriend or admit that he had any real feelings for any of those girls though, and she told herself that that was at least a positive. She honestly wasn't sure what she would <em> do </em> if he ended up in a committed relationship with somebody else. Just the thought of it made her eyes well up with tears, but she swiftly fought them down. She refused to be sad on her birthday, and more than that, she refused to be sad on the day that Ron had planned for <em> her.  </em></p><p> </p><p>Ron turned his head to find her staring at him. “Hey! You're supposed to be <em> asleep </em>.” he scolded, turning his eyes back to the road.</p><p> </p><p>“Couldn't sleep,” she replied, stretching and sitting up, looking around. She was pleased that his hand was still on her knee. “Can you tell me where we are going now?”</p><p> </p><p>He momentarily gave her a ‘look’ like she was a naughty child who wouldn't stop asking questions. “No.”</p><p> </p><p>She lightly swatted him and he took his hand off of her knee and held it up. “Hey, it’s dangerous to touch the driver you know!” He paused, a wicked smirk now on his face. “Wouldn't object to some roadhead though…”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione gasped and Ron held his hand up again as if in self defense. “Kidding kidding kidding!” he cried out, laughing. “I went too far, I know!”</p><p> </p><p>She sat back in her seat. “You better be kidding Ronald Weasley! <em> Why </em> must you be so crude all of the time?”</p><p> </p><p>He chuckled. “I’m not crude <em> all </em> of the time, I just know how to squeeze in a dirty joke when the moment calls for it! <em> Besides </em> , even though my jokes always get me in trouble with you, most of the time they also make you laugh and that’s <em> really </em>what I’m going for.”</p><p> </p><p>She rolled her eyes. “So you're saying that you say crude things to make me <em> laugh </em>?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yep!”</p><p> </p><p>“Why would you do that though?”</p><p> </p><p>He shrugged. “I like making you laugh.”</p><p> </p><p>She sighed, feeling both frustration and affection from his confession.</p><p> </p><p>“I mean, you should already <em> know </em> that I’m not serious when I say those kinds of things.” He laughed, shaking his head. “It’s not like I <em> really </em> think those sorts of scenarios are even possible- Hermione Granger giving roadhead? You would <em> never </em> do something so scandalous!” </p><p> </p><p>Hermione was grateful that his eyes were on the road and he didn't notice her blushing. She reached out and turned the radio up, wanting to end the conversation. He let out a small laugh, obviously knowing what she was doing, but he didn't say anything else. </p><p> </p><p>They drove for about an hour, saying nothing, both of them lost in their own thoughts before Ron broke off of the main highway in the middle of nowhere to go through the drive through of a small donut shop. Ron ordered a dozen donuts, while Hermione opted for two kolaches and they shared a large bottle of orange juice. Ron had insisted on paying, saying that she wasn't<em> allowed </em> to pay for anything on her birthday.</p><p> </p><p>They drove for another hour before Hermione realized that Ron was taking her to the beach.</p><p> </p><p>“The beach!” she exclaimed happily and Ron nodded, a grin on his face. </p><p> </p><p>“Figured the fresh air would help you relax.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do I really need to relax <em> that </em> much?” she asked, grinning.</p><p> </p><p>“He pursed his lips. “I’d be scared for my safety if I answered that question truthfully.”</p><p> </p><p>She ignored him, too excited about going to the beach. It had been years since she had last gone, and she couldn't wait to walk along the water’s edge with Ron.</p><p> </p><p>The beach is actually the <em> second </em> surprise.” Ron said, a slightly apprehensive look on his face as he stared ahead.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s the fir...” she trailed off, following his gaze. In the distance, she could see the tall structures to some sort of theme park...<em> roller coasters. </em></p><p> </p><p>Her eyes widened. “Absolutely, positively <em> no, </em> Ron!”</p><p> </p><p>“What better present is there than learning to conquer your fears Hermione?”</p><p> </p><p>“<em> Every </em> present is better.”</p><p> </p><p>He laughed. “I will be with you on every ride. Hell, I’ll even wrap my arms around you while we are riding the damn things to make you feel more safe!”</p><p> </p><p>“Your arms won’t stop me from plummeting to my death Ronald.”</p><p> </p><p>He sighed. “We are going, and you are going to love it.” he kissed the tip of his finger before playfully tapping the end of her nose with it.</p><p> </p><p>She crossed her arms, huffing.</p><p> </p><p>o</p><p>O</p><p>o</p><p> </p><p>Three hours later, they were standing in line for the biggest roller coaster of them all; The Whomping Willow. Ron was giddy with excitement, and he kept a firm grip on Hermione’s hand so she couldn't try and make an escape. </p><p> </p><p>When they had gotten to the park, Ron had purchased them each a pink wristband, and they had walked around, riding every single ride, starting with the smallest and working their way to the biggest. Hermione had felt ridiculous riding the baby rides, like the carousel and the spinning teacups, but Ron had insisted, saying that they were warming up to do the big stuff. She had to admit that she had especially loved the bumper cars, as her and Ron had kept purposely slamming into each other, and she couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so hard. </p><p> </p><p>She had gradually gotten more terrified, each ride scarier than the last. Ron had done as he had promised, and had held her (as much as it was possible to do so on these sorts of things) on the scary ones. Although she felt absolutely sick with nerves before getting on each of them, she had to admit that she was having a blast. Ron hadn't let go of her hand the whole time, and they had shared a cotton candy, a hotdog and fries, a snowcone, and a funnel cake in between rides.</p><p> </p><p>They were next and Ron pulled her to a cart near the middle of the long row of seats. She stopped, dragging her heels and he turned around to look at her and smiled as she frantically shook her head no. </p><p> </p><p>“Come on Hermione, you can't just make it to the <em> very last one </em> just to turn back.” He rubbed her hand reassuredly. “You can <em> do </em> this, I know you can.”</p><p> </p><p>She took a deep breath and allowed him to gently pull her down into the seat right next to him. Once the bar was down across their laps, he told her to turn towards him a bit, and he awkwardly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her head into his chest. </p><p> </p><p>It was by far the scariest thing she had ever done, and she screamed bloody murder the entire ride. Even over the whoosh of the air and the sound of her own screaming, she could clearly hear Ron laughing and whooping in excitement. He only let go of her when the ride stopped, and he had found it extremely funny that he had to steady her as she got out, her legs still wobbly.</p><p> </p><p>They finally made it to the beach where they walked for a while, talking about random things, the wind whipping both of their hair around, making them laugh. She squealed at every small crab that she saw, and she picked up a few seashells as he watched. It was cold outside and the water was freezing, so neither of them opted to take off their shoes and walk in the water, but she didn't mind at all.</p><p> </p><p>They came across a man selling bird seed, and Ron bought some for her to throw into the air for the seagulls that were flying over them. She was jumping around excitedly and Ron was smiling and shaking his head at her, his hands in his pockets. She offered him some to throw up himself but he declined, saying that watching<em> her </em> feed the birds was a thousand times more fun than actually feeding them.</p><p> </p><p>They had walked a while more before deciding to head back towards the car, both of them getting hungry for dinner. Ron was walking backwards and she was talking to him about how brave she felt for riding The Whomping Willow, when she saw Ron’s eyes widen, scared. Confused, she watched as he lunged for her but right before he grabbed her, she felt a stabbing pain on the back of her head and everything went black.</p><p> </p><p>“Hermione? Ohgod <em> Hermione </em> please say something.”</p><p> </p><p>She opened her eyes to see Ron looking down at her, a terrified look on his face. She realized that he was sitting on the sand, holding her upper body in his lap. There was a boy who seemed to be around their age behind Ron, looking worried as he profusely apologized.</p><p> </p><p>“What <em> happened </em>?” she asked, reaching back behind her head and feeling a small knot with a cut on it.</p><p> </p><p>“The wind picked up my beach umbrella, and the metal part hit you on the back of your head. I’m <em> so so </em>sorry,” the boy said. Hermione looked at him properly. He was skinny, with extremely unruly black hair, and had round glasses.</p><p> </p><p>Ron wasn't paying any attention to him, he was just staring at her, trying to make sure that she was okay. “What’s my name?” he demanded.</p><p> </p><p>“Carrot top?” Hermione answered as the black haired boy laughed, but Ron merely scowled.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s my bloody <em> name </em> Hermione?”</p><p> </p><p>“Your bloody <em> name </em> is Ronald Weasley, and <em> I’m </em> Hermione Granger. I can't believe that I survived <em> roller coasters </em> today, only to be taken out by a beach umbrella.”</p><p> </p><p>Ron's face softened as he chuckled. “Man, you <em> scared </em> me there for a minute.” He hugged her for a second before standing up and pulling her to her feet.</p><p> </p><p>When she stood up, her head hurt, but it wasn't unbearable and she wasn't going to let it affect the rest of her perfect day.</p><p> </p><p>“Harry Potter,” the boy introduced himself, holding his hand out to them. “Again, I’m <em> so </em> sorry about that.” Hermione shook his hand, and Ron did so too, but grudgingly, and she knew that he blamed Harry for her getting hurt.</p><p> </p><p>“Let me take you two out to dinner, my treat!” he asked them.</p><p> </p><p>Hermione and Ron exchanged glances before nodding their heads in agreement. Free food was free food after all!</p><p> </p><p>“Let me just pack up my things and get my cousin and his boyfriend over here to join us. He turned around, cupping his hands around his mouth. “Oi! Seamus! Dean! Come on!”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione watched as two other boys ran over, one of them short and muscular, the other tall and dark skinned, both of them quite handsome.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re going out for dinner, you two coming?” </p><p> </p><p>They both nodded enthusiastically as they introduced themselves.</p><p> </p><p>After Harry had packed away all of their stuff into his jeep, they walked only a little ways more, to a small italian restaurant.</p><p> </p><p>They all sat down at a large booth, and conversation was going great, they all seemed to be getting on very well. Seamus and Dean were very affectionate towards each other, and it made Hermione happy to see them be so open about it, as there were still a bunch of prejudiced people in the world. If there was one thing that Hermione hated, it was prejudice. </p><p> </p><p>Harry and Ron in particular seemed to automatically click, and were in a deep conversation about football. She ordered a salad and a plate of spaghetti, while the boys all opted to order two extra large pizzas to share.</p><p> </p><p>As they were eating, Seamus turned his attention to them. “So, how long have you two been together?” he asked.</p><p> </p><p>Hermione’s mouth was full of food, but she watched as Ron grinned before wrapping his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. </p><p> </p><p>“Two long, <em> wonderful </em> years!” he answered, earning him an eyroll from her as he went on. “You know, earlier on the beach, I was <em> just </em> about to propose, when your umbrella hit her.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione watched as Harry’s mouth dropped open in horror and could tell that he was about to start apologizing again but she held up her hand.”No, no, he’s <em> joking </em> !” Harry’s mouth closed as he let out a sigh of relief. “You can't take <em> anything </em>Ron says seriously! He wasn't about to propose, and we aren't even dating, we are just friends.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em> Best </em> friends,” Ron grumbled, a bit sulky she supposed from her ending his joke too soon.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, <em> best </em> friends,” she clarified, squeezing his hand on the table.</p><p> </p><p>Dean cocked his head a bit to the side. “You two seem a lot more, I don't know, <em> in tune </em> with each other to just be friends.”</p><p> </p><p>Ron took a sip of his soda. “Nextdoor neighbors since we were eleven mate. We know each other extremely well.”</p><p> </p><p>Dean nodded, but Hermione could tell that he was holding himself back from saying any more.</p><p> </p><p>They started talking about schools, and when Harry told Ron what school that they went to, Ron excitedly told them that he knew someone who went to their school. “My mate Dave’s girlfriend, Charlotte, goes there! You know her?”</p><p> </p><p>Harry and Dean didn't know her, but Seamus said that he knew her a bit from some of his classes. </p><p> </p><p>The night ended with them exchanging phone numbers and promising to keep in touch.</p><p> </p><p>The drive home was pretty much silent, but they held hands the whole way. It was pretty late when Ron pulled up in her driveway. When he turned the car off, they sat there in silence for a few long moments before getting out. Ron walked around the front of the car and met her, and together they made their way to her front door.</p><p> </p><p>Ron handed her the car keys, and just stood there, suddenly looking awkward. </p><p> </p><p>“I had the best day today. Thank you,” she said quietly.</p><p> </p><p>He nodded his head and gave her a small smile. “Good. I’m glad.” He took a deep breath and opened his mouth to say something else, but then closed it quickly, stopping himself.</p><p> </p><p>Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What? What were you going to say?”</p><p> </p><p>He gulped. “Nothing, ah-just-I’m really proud of you for riding the coasters, and uh, I’m really sorry that you got hurt.”</p><p> </p><p>She laughed. “Thank you, and I’m <em> fine. </em>” </p><p> </p><p>He took both of her hands in his and stared at them. “Love ya, Hermione. Goodnight.”</p><p> </p><p>He softly dropped her hands and turned around, making his way to his house.</p><p> </p><p>Sighing, she unlocked her front door and made her way quietly upstairs, walking into her bathroom and taking a quick shower. Once out, she dressed in her pyjamas, before suddenly having the urge to send Ron a note and again tell him that she had had an amazing day. </p><p> </p><p>She wrote it on a piece of paper, but when she opened her curtains she gasped loudly, instantly closing them again. Her hands were now shaking as she got on her knees and slowly parted them just a fraction so she could <em> just </em>peek through the crack, thankful that she had already turned her bedroom lights off. </p><p> </p><p>Ron’s bedroom light however, was <em> on, </em> and his curtains were wide open, though his window was shut. He was standing there with his back to her, completely starkers, towel drying his hair. Hermione had no idea how a bum could be so arousing, but <em> his </em> unquestionably was. His body was long and lean, muscular but not bulky. His skin was pale, and though she wasn't close, she could tell that his freckles were <em> everywhere </em> and this made her terribly excited. Still drying his hair, he turned around and walked a few steps to stand next to his bed, now facing her. Even though there was no possible way that he could hear her from where she was, her hand came up to cup her mouth as she quietly whimpered at the sight of him. He looked like one of those naked greek statues that she had seen, except he was quite a bit-um- <em> bigger. </em> She knew that he was completely flaccid though, as his foreskin was covering the top of him, and he certainly didn't seem to be turned on as he rubbed the towel on his head, now drying the space behind his ears. Suddenly his eyes snapped up right to her window and she ducked, desperately hoping that he hadn't spotted her watching him.</p><p> </p><p>She almost screamed when a few seconds later, the pail started tapping against her window. She ignored it at first, but he was persistent and she knew that he wouldn't stop until she answered. </p><p> </p><p>Taking a deep breath, she stood up and opened her curtains and then her window. He was standing there, now with shorts on, his arms crossed as he smiled at her in a way that made her know that he knew <em> exactly </em>what she had been doing. Gulping, she picked up the note and read it. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> See anything you like? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>If dying from embarrassment was actually a thing, she knew that she for sure would be a goner. She could <em> feel </em> the heat radiating off her face as she responded.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> No. Goodnight. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>She sent it back before leaning down and closing her window, but before it was all the way closed, she heard the sound of him laughing.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Last chapter was too happy, now I have to balance it out ;) haha</p><p> </p><p>Remember, always be nice to animals, and if it is cold outside, bring your pets inside with you! -Just a PSA</p><p> </p><p>o</p><p>O</p><p>o</p><p> </p><p>A few days later, Hermione was still coming down from the high that had been the perfect-ness of her birthday spent with Ron. There had been a few moments that had taken place that day that had left her feeling as if they <em> might </em> have been on the cusp of something more, but now she wasn't sure if the signs had been <em> real </em>, or if they had just been due to the flawlessness of the day.</p><p> </p><p>Now it was Friday night, and earlier Ron had left to Dave’s house to attend yet<em> another </em>party. Even though she was used to him partying almost every Friday, for some reason it was bugging her much more than it usually did. For some reason, she had allowed herself to hope that he would choose to forgo the party and opt to spend his night with her instead, and had felt deep disappointment when he hadn't. </p><p> </p><p>It was past midnight now, and she was wide awake. After tossing and turning in her bed for several hours, she had given up hope of falling asleep and had decided to work on her schoolwork instead. She was sitting at her desk with her lamp on and was finishing her biology work that wasn't due for another week. She was currently juggling eight classes and although she did feel a bit overwhelmed at times, she was very happy with the progress that she was making.</p><p> </p><p>She paused, her pencil hovering over her paper when she heard a car with very loud music slowly driving down the street. Her room was on the side of the house, but if she stood close enough to the window, she could easily see the street and both her and Ron’s front yards. Her suspicions that it was Dave had been correct as she saw his car pull up in front of Ron’s house and watched as Ron scrambled out, before turning around to listen to something that someone in the car was saying. As she watched him, she noted that he wasn't unstable enough to be extremely drunk, but he was at least tipsy, his head swung all the way back, his mouth now wide open in laughter. </p><p> </p><p>She had never understood his need to party and drink all of the time. She knew that he was fairly popular, and that his friends would give him a hard time if he <em> didn't </em> party with them, but she thought that that shouldn't matter to him if he was secure enough with himself. His friends were the kind of people that she very well could not ever see herself being friends with, and she wasn't even sure <em> why </em> Ron hung out with them so often. She knew that he was so much <em> more </em>than just some teenage party boy and she wished that he would see that too one day, but it probably would have to be something that he had to realize for himself. </p><p> </p><p>Still, the sight of his laughing form made her smile, but the smile instantly fell from her face when she saw a pretty girl with a very small mini skirt on also step out of the car before throwing her arms around Ron’s neck. The girl was looking up at him, her hands threading through his hair as she was saying something to him that Hermione couldn't hear. To her dismay, Ron was hugging her back, although Hermione could tell that he now looked slightly uncomfortable. Hermione’s mouth gaped open when the girl roughly grabbed the sides of Ron’s face and pulled his lips down to hers hungrily.</p><p> </p><p>In that moment, Hermione literally saw red. <em> Hearing </em> about him with other girls was one thing, <em> seeing </em>it with her own eyes was another. She hadn't been prepared at all for the rush of feelings that this had caused. She instantly closed her curtains, fuming. </p><p> </p><p>Huffing, she sat on her bed, her head in her hands, trying to mentally destroy the scene that was now burned inside of her brain. Even though she knew that she had no ‘claim’ on Ron, the fact that he was so casual about being with other girls, yet never with <em> her </em> made her feel inadequate somehow. </p><p> </p><p>What did <em> those </em> girls have that <em> she </em> didn't??? He had had <em> thousands </em> of chances to kiss her; yet he hadn't ever done so (unless she counted the <em> one </em> time when he had been out of his mind drunk-which didn't make her feel much better) Seeing him kiss someone else had brought out every horrible feeling that had accumulated over the past couple years, with every single story of him kissing other girls, of him ‘hooking up’ with other girls coming to a head and it was too much and she could hardly stand it.</p><p> </p><p>When she heard the sound of the pail hitting the window, something in her snapped and she didn't even <em> want </em> to pretend to be nice tonight.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Saw your lamp on. Why are you awake? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Why does it matter? It’s not like you give a rat’s ass anyway. You always leave me. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Hermione watched as Ron’s face furrowed in confusion as he read her note and wrote his own.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> ...Ok-What’s got your knickers in a twist? I was just asking.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Nothing. I’m fine. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I saw you watching me outside. Is it because Lavender kissed me? Sorry you had to see that. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> First off, It’s none of my concern ‘who’ you kiss. Don't flatter yourself. Go on and kiss every girl in the world Ron.  I.don't.care. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Ok. Good to know that I have your permission now. Thanks Hermione. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Even though that note could have been read as being written in a joking manner, Hermione could tell by Ron’s face that he was not at all in the joking mood.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Just shag any girl who opens her legs for you as well. Might as well. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Fine. I will. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>His nonchalance was only adding fuel to her fire. She felt as if steam were actually coming out of her ears.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I mean, does it make you feel better about yourself Ron? You treat girls like objects and frankly, it's disgusting. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Not that it’s any of your damn business, but believe it or not, I hardly ever make the first move. I have never disrespected any girl, nor have I treated any of them as ‘objects’. It’s just sex and it doesn't mean anything. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Well it should. Sex shouldn't be meaningless. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Oh, right. I forgot that sex should only happen missionary position on a bed filled with rose petals between people who are deeply in love with eachother. How foolish of me. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Now you're making fun of me. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Yeah I am because you're being barmy. Why do you suddenly care about what I do, or who I have sex with? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I don't. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Then why are you nagging at me like I’m a fucking idiot? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Because you are.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>She watched him read it, his face growing even more angry than it had been.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Really? Well I’d rather be that than a stuck up snob who thinks that she’s better than everyone else. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Not once have I ever said that I am better than anyone else. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> You don't have to Hermione, it's obvious what you think. How many times have I invited you to come with me, and how many times have you accepted my invitation? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> You already know that partying isn't my thing. That doesn't mean that I’m stuck up. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Ha! You're kidding yourself. You think that you are better than all of my friends, admit it. Maybe if you came to a party and got laid like I sometimes do, you would learn how to chill the fuck out. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> You're a complete and total ass. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Of course I am Hermione. God forbid I speak my mind around you. I’m only allowed to use a specific ‘Hermione Granger approved’ vocabulary when speaking to you.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Go to hell. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> This isn't hell already? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Get over yourself. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Admit it, you're just jealous that I'm getting some and you aren't. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> HAHAHA! Actually, I feel sorry for the girls that you mess around with. I don't know what they can possibly see in someone like you. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> What the hell is that supposed to mean? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> It means that you're an immature child who's incapable of having real feelings. Furthermore, I bet that you're not even good in bed. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>She watched as he read her note before looking up and glaring at her in a way that he never had before. Still maintaining eye contact, he crumbled it up in his fist before reaching up and slamming his window shut before closing his curtains. She stood there a second before doing the same. </p><p> </p><p>She had gone too far, she <em> knew </em> that she had gone too far, but she was feeling so upset and hurt that she tried to convince herself that he had deserved it.</p><p> </p><p>o</p><p>O</p><p>o</p><p> </p><p>Her and Ron hadn't talked at all after that night, so on that next Monday, Hermione had marched right up to a young man in her biology class and told him that she would love to go on a date with him. His name was Cormac McLaggen, and he was a 21 year old business major who had been trying to get her to go out with him since the beginning of the semester. Until then, she had let been letting him down gently, telling him that she wanted to focus on her studies and not date. At her words, he had given her a wide, somewhat smug grin and told her that he would pick her up on Friday. </p><p> </p><p>As she had walked away, she had felt guilty, but had quickly shrugged it away. Why should she be waiting on Ron, when he couldn't even be bothered with her? </p><p> </p><p>The rest of the week passed by quickly and she hadn't even seen a glimpse of Ron, but she told herself that she was just fine with that. On Friday afternoon, after she had showered and gotten dressed in a dress that was in her opinion, far too short, she opened her curtains, hoping that Ron would see her and know that she was going out on a date. She kept on peeking at his window as she did her hair and put on her makeup. She knew that she was being extremely immature, but she had this great desire to let him know that she <em> too </em> was capable of attracting the opposite sex. To her disappointment though, his curtains stayed shut the whole time she was getting ready.</p><p> </p><p>When the doorbell finally rang, her mum answered it, and when Hermione walked downstairs, Cormac was having a friendly conversation with both of her parents. She couldn't help but notice that he was putting on the charm for them, and his cocky grin made her feel slightly annoyed, but she decided to ignore the feeling.</p><p> </p><p>After her parents had wished them a night of fun, they headed out of her front door, their hands intertwined. They started to walk down the front walkway to his car that was parked in front of her house, her high heels clicking loudly on the pavement. To her delight, she saw that Ron was in his front yard, tossing a ball back and forth with one of the twins. She watched as his eyes widened in surprise, taking in the sight of her dressed as she was before his eyes traveled down to her and Cormac’s conjoined hands. She saw him furrow his brows and look away, his jaw clenched tightly as he stood stock still.</p><p> </p><p><em> Good </em> , she thought. <em> Have a taste of your own medicine Ron Weasley. </em></p><p> </p><p>Cormac didn't even seem to notice that Ron was there as he opened the passenger car door for her, helping her inside with his hand on the small of her back. As he walked around the front of the car to get into the driver's seat, Hermione noticed Ron give him an icy stare, as if he were something repulsive.</p><p> </p><p>They had a pretty nice dinner followed by a movie, and she had had fun enough, even though she had been slightly uncomfortable as he had been running his hand up and down her bare legs during the movie. It was dark by the time that they made it back to her house, and once he parked, he got out and walked over to the other side of the car. He opened the door and helped her up before closing it and leaning against the car, pulling her body close to his. Slowly, he started kissing her and when he put his tongue in her mouth, she didn't object. She was a bit disappointed that she didn't feel any fireworks, even though she had to admit that he <em> was </em> a good kisser. He then pulled her even closer, one of his hands resting between her shoulder blades, the other slowly running down her body to cup the swell of her bum before kneading it greedily. </p><p> </p><p>A loud and piercing noise caused them to jump apart and when she turned her head towards the noise, she saw Mrs. Weasley’s minivan in the driveway. The lights were blinking, and the horn was blaring, even though no one was around it. She turned to glare at Ron’s bedroom window, just barely making out his shadowy figure in the dark. She was extremely surprised that he wasn't at a party, as on Friday’s he was usually not even home at this hour.</p><p> </p><p>When she turned back to Cormac, his hands were over his ears, the sound of the car alarm still going off loudly. She gave him one last small kiss, telling him that she had had a great time, and to call her soon. He nodded before getting into his car and driving away, giving her one last wave before he turned the corner. As soon as his car was no longer in sight, the car alarm suddenly stopped and it was again silent. She started up the pathway to her house and once in, she furiously kicked off her high heels before making her way up to her room.</p><p> </p><p>She opened her curtains and window to see that the pail was already on her side, a piece of paper in it. She angrily snatched it before reading it.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> How long have you been seeing that git? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> The only git is you. That was so juvenile what you just did.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I didn't do anything. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Oh so your mum’s car alarm just happened to go off as I was snogging my date? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Weird, I know. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I know that you did it. I’m surprised that you arent at one of your stupid parties. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I didn't feel like going. Who is he? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> His name is Cormac and he is much nicer than you are. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Hm. Did you enjoy your date?  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I did. Very much so. Cormac really knows how to show a girl a good time. He doesn't just ‘hook up’ with them at parties. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Good for him. He looks like a prat. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I don't care what you think. Besides, who I go out with is none of your business. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I didn't say that it was my business. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Good. Because it’s not. Leave me alone. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Gladly. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>o</p><p>O</p><p>o</p><p> </p><p>Three days later, Hermione invited Cormac over to her house for dinner. Once he arrived, she told her mum that she was going to take him up to her room for a bit. That morning she had purposely left her curtains open, hoping that Ron would be in his room when she brought Cormac up. As soon as she opened her bedroom door, she saw that Ron’s curtains <em> were </em> open, and she could see him looking through his drawers for something. After her first initial glance at him though, she didn't look his way again. </p><p> </p><p>Once they were both in her room Cormac closed the door, giving her a devious grin before pulling her into his arms and kissing her. His hands roamed along her back before traveling to her front and up her jumper to touch her breasts over her thin bra. She knew that she should be feeling something akin to excitement about being touched like this for the first time in her life, but all she could think about was the fact that Ron was probably watching them right now. </p><p> </p><p>Still kissing, Cormac walked her to her bed and they laid down on it together. When he crawled on top of her, she was surprised to discover that he was turned on, as she could feel him hard against her leg. She wondered if she too should be turned on as he was, and briefly pondered if there was something wrong with her. She put her hands under his shirt, feeling his hard, well defined chest, but again, she didn't feel anything and she felt frustrated at herself. She felt her breath hitch when his fingers unbuttoned her jeans, and as his hands slowly slipped underneath the top part of her knickers, she pulled her mouth away from his and lightly laughed.</p><p> </p><p>“Better get downstairs,” she told him. “Dinner should be about ready by now.” </p><p> </p><p>He nodded before leaning down and whispering seductively in her ear. </p><p> </p><p>“We’ll finish this later.”</p><p> </p><p>They stood up and straightened their clothes before he took her hand and together, they made their way downstairs. Just before walking out, she turned to see that Ron’s curtains were now closed and she wondered at which point he had closed them.</p><p> </p><p>When they walked into the kitchen, her mum was just taking the Shepard’s Pie out of the oven and when she saw them, she lightly shook her head at her daughter. “Hermione dear, I wish that you had told me that you invited someone else to dinner too. I hope that we have enough.”</p><p> </p><p>Confused, Hermione’s eyes instantly snapped to her left to see Ron sitting at the table in light conversation with her dad. When his eyes came up to meet hers he smiled, his face a picture of innocence. Only Hermione would be able to see the challenge that he had in his eyes as he stared at her, just daring her to say that she hadn't invited him.</p><p> </p><p>Refusing to bow down to his level, she merely smiled back at him before grabbing Cormac's arm and walking him to the table where they sat down on the opposite end as Ron. For half a second, she saw a flicker of anger pass across his face, but then he smiled really big before standing up and holding his hand out to Cormac.</p><p> </p><p>“Hi. Ron Weasley. I’m-”</p><p> </p><p>“The <em> neighbor </em>.” Hermione cut in sharply.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh.” Cormac said, looking surprised. “Nice to meet you Ron. Cormac Mclaggen.” </p><p> </p><p>Ron smiled and nodded, but Hermione could clearly tell that it was fake.</p><p> </p><p>“So do you go to University Ron?” Cormac asked, trying to spark up conversation.</p><p> </p><p>Hermione let out a bark of laughter. “No. Ron here is still in <em> high school </em>!”</p><p> </p><p>She saw Ron’s lips thin out as he pressed them together in irritation before putting another one of his fake smiles on his face. “So what do you study, Cormac?”</p><p> </p><p>“I aim to get my bachelors in business.” Cormac said proudly. “I plan to take over my father’s company some day, once he retires.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh really,” Ron feigned great interest. “What company is that?”</p><p> </p><p>“His company designs sports gear, logos and such.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s amazing!” Ron continued his act.</p><p> </p><p>“It <em> really </em> is.” Hermione agreed, looking up at Cormac in what she hoped looked like affection.</p><p> </p><p>After that, her parents started asking more questions about Cormac's father’s company as Cormac happily answered. Ron was eating his food, now stone faced. Hermione would shoot him a glare every once in a while, and he would shoot one right back at her. She touched Cormac's arm as he spoke, sometimes leaning her head on his shoulder and she could almost feel the annoyance radiating off of Ron. Cormac however, seemed extremely pleased and kept squeezing her leg under the table.</p><p> </p><p>At the end of the meal, Cormac said his goodbyes, announcing that he should be heading home as he had an early morning class. Ron stayed behind with her parents, but Hermione didn't miss the quick glare he shot to her as she took Cormac by the hand and led him outside. Cormac seemed disappointed when she only gave him one chaste kiss on the lips, but she assured him that it was only because her parents were expecting her to help clean up and she had to make her way back inside. He climbed into his car and was gone, and Hermione stormed back into her house.</p><p> </p><p>When she walked back inside, Hermione headed immediately to her room, passing right by Ron who was now standing by the staircase, still talking to her parents.</p><p> </p><p>“Hermione!” her mum said incredulously, noticing her icy behavior and the fact that she was ignoring Ron.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s okay Mrs. Granger,” Ron said politely. “I should be headed home anyway.”</p><p> </p><p>Mrs. Granger nodded, but Hermione could tell that her mum didn't approve of her bad manners.</p><p> </p><p>“Goodnight Ronald.” Mrs. Granger said.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, have a <em> great </em> night Ron,” Hermione said sarcastically as Mrs. Granger looked between them, confused.</p><p> </p><p>Before any more words could be said, Hermione turned and raced upstairs. </p><p> </p><p>She was <em> so </em> angry with him! He could ignore her all week no problem, but the <em> first </em>time that she garnered some male attention, he had to go acting all protective over her.</p><p> </p><p>She was only in her room for about five minutes before she heard the sound of the pail against the window. She stood up, opening her window and shooting a glare across at Ron before snatching up his note.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> He’s not good enough for you. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> He most certainly is. And it's none of your business anyway. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> He just wants to get into your knickers. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I really really like him and I can tell that it’s getting pretty serious. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> So he has then? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Has what? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Gotten into your knickers. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Again, that’s none of your business. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> That’s a yes. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> That's a ‘none of your damn business’ </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Have you slept with him or not? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> So what if I have? What does it matter to you? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I just don't want to see you get hurt. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> HAHA, that’s hilarious. So says the person who called me a snuck up snob and has pretended that I don't even exist this whole last week. Forgive me for not taking your concern seriously.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Ok. You're right. I'm sorry for saying those things, it was wrong of me. But to be fair, you did start it and you were much more cruel than I was. I was actually really hurt by what you said, and that's why I ignored you. I’m sorry. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Hermione knew that it had taken a lot for Ron to admit that she had hurt him, and she suddenly felt awful for the horrible words that she had written. However, she still wasn't ready to just excuse his recent behavior so easily.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Well, I’m sorry too, for what I said I mean. But I’m still mad at you for being an absolute prat these last few days. Setting off car alarms, showing up uninvited to dinner- why are you trying to sabotage my relationship? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Relationship? So he’s your boyfriend now? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> As a matter of fact, yes. Not that you would know anything about how relationships work as you've never been in one. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> That's only because I choose not to be. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Of course. You prefer casual sex with drunk girls. What a stud. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I'm not responding to that. I don't want to fight with you anymore Hermione. Again, I’m sorry and I miss you. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> No Ron, it’s not that easy. You are jealous that someone else is now in my life and you just want me to be at your beck and call all of the time. You constantly need attention, and you are upset that you aren't getting any from me anymore, admit it. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Do you really think that’s why I’m upset?  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I don't think. I know. You are selfish Ronald Weasley and you don't want me to be happy if you aren't. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> What? Are you serious Hermione? You can't really believe that. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I do.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>She could tell that he was trying not to get angry again, his demeanor tense as he stood there, his hand holding a pen and hovering over a piece of paper, as if he didn't know what to say. Finally, he scribbled something down before sending it back. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I’m trying really hard to remain level-headed right now. Please, let’s just forget about all of this and be friends again. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Maybe you need a lesson on how to be a good friend then. Friends don't try to sabotage their friends' relationships. Friends don't set off their mum’s car alarm when their friend is snogging their boyfriend! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Oh come on! He was grabbing your ass in the middle of the fucking street! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> And you wouldn't have known that if you hadn't been spying on me. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> You've spied on me before!  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Not intentionally. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> That’s a lie and you know it. But of course, you would never admit that you have done anything wrong. You're perfect. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> More perfect than you at least. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> You know what, I won't even deny that. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Is that sarcasm? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> No Hermione, it's not. You are far superior to me in every way and I’ve always known it. You are meant to go so much further in life than I am and that’s caused me to not ever say or do- I just- Shite, I'm not making any sense but- You are so bloody perfect that it’s literally made my life a living hell.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> What are you even talking about Ron? What is that supposed to mean? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I’m a realist Hermione. Let’s just say that I’m realistic about certain things and how they will turn out. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> What things Ron? You are making NO SENSE! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I know. Just forget it. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> You can't just write things like that and then tell me to forget about it. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I’m sorry. I shouldn't have said anything at all. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> But I don't even know what you meant? Just talk to me Ron. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> No. I’m a selfish prat who doesn't want to see you happy, remember? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Why are you being like this? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> To be honest, because of you. I’m batshit crazy when it comes to you Hermione. You are the only one who can drive me absolutely insane. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Is that an insult? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> No it’s not. It’s just the truth. I'm going to go to bed now, I’m tired. Sorry if I ruined your date. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>She watched as he closed his window without waiting for a response, his face dejected, and she wondered just what he had been on about.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>I started writing this chapter, and it turned out to be MASSIVE, so I split it into two parts! This one is (mainly) a transition chapter but there are some sweet moments in there as well. The other part is close to being finished so keep a lookout for it!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I hope you all have a great week! </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Random thing- When I write, I eat chia or flax seeds by the spoonful. They are so fun to pop with your teeth. Try it!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*Just about a year and a half later*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione pulled into her driveway right around eleven o’clock on a Wednesday night. She was just now getting home after a full day of classes, followed by a six hour shift at her job and she was physically and mentally drained. Her body ached both from hunching over desks during classes, and then constantly standing or walking at her job and she wanted nothing more than to take an extremely quick shower before crawling into bed and falling into a deep sleep. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Both of her parents were currently attending a dentistry convention several hours away and would be gone for the remainder of the week, so she had had the house completely to herself since Sunday. When she got to her front door and went to unlock it, she paused when she caught a glimpse of flickering light through the front window. Frowning, she finished unlocking it and walked inside to look around for the source of the light. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her body froze at the sight of flickering candlelight illuminating the otherwise dark walls, starting at the very bottom of the stairs. Quietly she closed the door and walked over to the staircase, looking up to see small tea light candles on every step, like a pathway as if to lure her upstairs. Not only that, but the staircase had also been sprinkled generously with rose petals. Smiling, she leaned down to pick one up and almost giggled when she realized they were the fake kind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Slowly, she walked up the stairs. “My goodness, I wonder </span>
  <em>
    <span>who</span>
  </em>
  <span> did all of this?” she sang out. “I sure hope they know that </span>
  <em>
    <span>they</span>
  </em>
  <span> will be the one who will be cleaning it all up.” she teased.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oi!” said a slightly offended voice coming from her bedroom just as she rounded the corner to look into it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her bedroom had even more fake rose petals in it, they were even covering her bed and her desk. Most of them however, covered the entirety of her floor, and in the middle of them all stood Ron, wearing a tuxedo and smiling cheesily at her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For the last year or so, Hermione had truly felt that she and Ron were slowly heading forward into something </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Ever since her breakup with Cormac, something had definitely shifted between them, although she wasn't quite sure </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Unfortunately, nothing concrete had happened yet, but she had a feeling that they probably would soon. There had been moments where she </span>
  <em>
    <span>thought</span>
  </em>
  <span> that he might kiss her, and although she had always been disappointed when he didn't, she had a feeling that it was bound to happen one day so she was determined to be patient with him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She thought back to the few weeks that she had had a ‘boyfriend’, and it made her want to roll her eyes. Ron had been right, Cormac had indeed only wanted to get into her knickers, and after several weeks of her refusing to let him do so, he had ended things between them. Things had been a bit awkward for the rest of the semester as he was still in her biology class, but she had managed fine, feeling lucky that she had dodged that bullet and disappointed in herself that she hadn't ended things even sooner. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had never told Ron the ‘whys’ of her breakup and had always left the details vague. She wasn't quite sure why she didn't want to tell him the truth and admit to him that she had never slept with Cormac, but she supposed she didn't want to seem like a prude so she had just left the topic alone. She remembered how relieved he had looked when she had gone to his house and casually mentioned that she and Cormac were no longer an item. It was as if he could start breathing properly again, and then he had started being extra nice to her and hadn't stopped since.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He still joked around a lot with her of course, but there was also a growing maturity in him as well. He was even more thoughtful and caring towards her and was always the first to ask if she needed help with anything and he took care of her when she was drowning in schoolwork and responsibilities. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now, both eighteen, and both in school with part time jobs, they saw less of each other than they used to, but she felt that it only made the time that they</span>
  <em>
    <span> did</span>
  </em>
  <span> spend together more meaningful. Although Ron would still attend parties, it had gotten to where he only went once every few weekends, choosing to spend the extra time with her or working on his clunker of a car that he had gotten secondhand from his brother Percy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is all of this for Ron?” she smiled back at him as she tiredly leaned against the doorframe.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop asking questions Hermione! </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m</span>
  </em>
  <span> the one who is going to do the asking around here!” he playfully snapped back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She crossed her arms and arched her brow. “Okay. Go on then.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron dramatically cleared his throat before throwing his hands up and saying in a loud and clear voice. “Hermione Jean Granger-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She couldn't help but laugh at his hand gestures and the look on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pretended to be offended and pointed his finger at her. “Listen here young lady, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> get this out, but I need you to-” he sighed. “Well- frankly, I need you to shut the hell up so I can finish asking you what I came here to ask.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She tightened her lips and waved her hands out, gesturing for him to go on. “Okay then,” he continued. “Hermione Jean Granger, will you-” he paused dramatically. “go to prom with me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looked around her room, pretending to think about it. Well, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>might</span>
  </em>
  <span> have accepted if you had used real rose petals.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uggghhh,” he threw his hand to his forehead, his eyes rolling up to the ceiling. “I’m tight on funds right now Hermione, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> that!” he whined. “I got a whole giant </span>
  <em>
    <span>bag </span>
  </em>
  <span>of these things at the dollar store! They do the same damn thing and they </span>
  <em>
    <span>look</span>
  </em>
  <span> real enough so stop being so bloody difficult.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She laughed. “Out of all the girls that you know Ron, why are you asking </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> to prom?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shrugged. “Because </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> are my most favorite,” he said earnestly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You flatter me,” she said as she tossed her bag onto her desk before flopping down on top of her bed, her body too tired to stand any longer, scattering the fake rose petals everywhere.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turned his body so that he was looking at her, his arms crossed in front of him. “No. I just tell the truth. Now give me an answer, but you better say yes or I’ll cry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She let out a small laugh. “If it means that much, then yes Ron, I’ll go to prom with you. I don't want to be the reason for your tears.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She watched as he gave her a smug grin. “It was the tux wasn't it?” he smiled as if he already knew the answer. “You like?” he asked as he lifted his arms and slowly turned around.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She eyed him, noting how well it fit him and tried to ignore her now quickened heartbeat. He had only grown both in height and width since she had first really noticed him in that way, and it was getting increasingly difficult to reign in her feelings when she allowed herself to really </span>
  <em>
    <span>look</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Once he finished spinning, she quickly averted her eyes, hoping that he couldn't tell </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> how much she ‘liked’ it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes Ron, you're absolutely beautiful,” she teased, but secretly she was saying the truth of how she felt.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And the truth comes out.” He smiled before sitting down on her chair after dragging it so that it was next to the bed. “There’s a </span>
  <em>
    <span>bit </span>
  </em>
  <span>of a catch though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sighed, eying him warily. “What's the catch?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I was actually told that I won't be able to attend prom at my own school...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ronald!” she sat up, ready to scold him. “What did you do this time?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was surprised, because this last year, he had come leaps and bounds when it came to his schooling. With a little bit of her studying help, and what he called her ‘constant nagging’ he had almost all A’s and B’s for the first time in his life. It was his last year of high school, and for once, he had decided to take it seriously. Molly and Arthur had been elated at this change in him, and had thanked Hermione profusely for finally getting their youngest son in line. She however, had always known that he was capable and that all he ever needed was to just apply himself. She knew that he had been both surprised and pleased by how it was going for him once he really tried. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I- well,” Ron rubbed the back of his neck. “My science teacher-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded. “Snape.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron often complained about the man, and from stories that Ron told her, she could hardly blame him for doing so. Apparently the man had taken a huge dislike to Ron due to his ‘loud personality’ and punished him frequently for the most mundane of things.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, he really pissed me off last week and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>might </span>
  </em>
  <span>have called him an uptight bastard…” Hermione shook her head disapprovingly as Ron went on. “Mcgonagall said that she felt for me, but Snape was pushing for expulsion and she said that her hands were tied.” He sighed. “She agreed not to kick me out of school, but she had to take prom away from me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione looked at him, confused. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Why </span>
  </em>
  <span>are you inviting me to prom then, if you can't even go?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well here’s the thing! You remember Dave’s girlfriend, Charlotte?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione nodded. “You've talked about her before, yes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, she’s on her prom committee and she reckons that she can get a bunch of us into </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> high school prom. It’s a bit of a drive, but it’s better than nothing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm,” she replied, thinking about it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron grabbed her hand in his. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Plus</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Harry, Seamus, and Dean go to her school as well, remember? I've already told them that we are coming and they said that they will all be there, how cool is that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione smiled. Both her and Ron had kept in contact and still talked to the three boys every once in a while. Her and Ron were both very fond of them all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So we drive for three hours to go to prom?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah that,” Ron said, looking hesitant. “Charlotte’s uncle runs this little dingy motel out there and can get us a room for real cheap. That way, we don't have to drive home so late at night, y’know?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She gave him a small smirk and he rolled his eyes. “Don't worry Hermione, I promise to keep my grubby hands to myself!” He held up his fingers and waggled them in front of his face. Since he was up to his elbows all day in car engines at his job, his nails had come to have an almost permanent black look and she often teased him about them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She laughed, even though she was thinking to herself that she definitely </span>
  <em>
    <span>wouldn't</span>
  </em>
  <span> object if he didn't want to keep his hands to himself. “Okay. Sounds fun,” she agreed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron looked a bit surprised, but extremely pleased. “I thought you would be harder to convince actually.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sighed, laying back down and closing her eyes. “Long day. I’m exhausted and I suppose that I’m too tired to argue with you about it right now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not a good answer for my self esteem, but I’ll take it!” he said happily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She yawned. “I really need to take a shower and get to bed though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ok. I’ll clean up my ‘mess’ while you do that.” He chuckled as he bent down and started to pick up the petals from the floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She grabbed some of her pyjamas and headed towards her bathroom, taking an extremely quick shower.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she came out, Ron was laying on her bed, and all of the petals were back in the plastic bag that they had come from. She hadn't expected him to be able to pick them up as fast as he had.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You didn't have to pick them </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> up. I would have helped you,” she laughed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nah, It’s fine. I might even save them for a later use or something, they're pretty cool.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Scoot over,” she ordered, pulling up the covers on the side of her queen bed and scooting in next to him. “Why are you still here?” she mumbled, already wanting to be asleep.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You didn't say goodbye, so I couldn't leave,” he said softly as he took one of her hands and interlaced his fingers with hers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She pulled her body even closer to his on the bed, laying her head on his chest as she noticed his eyebrows raise in surprise. Even though her body was under the covers and his wasn't, she nuzzled into him as he wrapped his arm around her, his hand now running back and forth over her back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They lay there like that for a while, none of them saying anything, the sounds of their slow comfortable breaths now the only sound in the room. She could feel herself drifting off to sleep already when his deep voice broke the silence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you awake?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She almost unconsciously nuzzled further into his chest. “Yes. Barely.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe I should go home, you're right knackered,” he chuckled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. Stay,” she whined. She might have been horribly embarrassed at asking him to stay the night with her in her bed if she were more awake, but at the moment she felt too tired to manage.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He paused. “You- you want me to stay the night with you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded. “You're </span>
  <em>
    <span>warm.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He chuckled. “And </span>
  <em>
    <span>you're</span>
  </em>
  <span> absolutely delirious.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stay,” she said again. “I don't want to be alone.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” he finally said in just over a whisper. “I just- I'll have to go to my house and...uh, brush my teeth and such.” He looked down at himself, still wearing his tux. “I can’t very well sleep in this thing either.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grudgingly, she backed up from him. “Hurry,” she demanded sleepily before again closing her eyes. She felt him get up and heard him get to her doorway before stopping, and when she opened her eyes she saw him standing there staring at her, his  face looking almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>hesitant. </span>
  </em>
  <span>When he saw that she had opened her eyes and was looking back at him, he gave her a small smile and a nod before turning around and leaving her sight. She smiled as she heard him loudly blowing the candles out one by one on his way downstairs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She must've fallen asleep shortly after he left, because when she woke up again, Ron was crawling into the bed with her but this time he crawled under the covers with her. He was wearing a shirt and pyjama bottoms, and his hair was wet as if he had showered. The smell of his body wash made her almost want to start licking his skin but she managed to refrain, choosing to inhale his scent instead.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You showered.” she said, her voice cracking with exhaustiveness.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” he confirmed, gathering her into his arms and pulling her to him. “Shh. Go back to sleep Hermione,” he whispered as he softly started stroking her hair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Smiling, she again nuzzled her face into him, falling asleep almost instantly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she woke up early the next morning, she felt Ron’s warm body against her, his arms still around her. His soft rythmythic snores let her know that he was still asleep. She slowly looked up, leaning her head a bit to take in the sight of him. He looked so peaceful and she had to stop herself from lifting her hand to stroke the side of his face and feel the light ginger stubble that adorned it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had stayed the night with her. In her </span>
  <em>
    <span>bed</span>
  </em>
  <span>. That wasn't something that </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>friends did; she was sure of it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It was something that lovers did</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The thought almost made her blush, but then she felt a bit confused because technically, nothing had </span>
  <em>
    <span>happened</span>
  </em>
  <span>, so maybe it </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> just been innocent after all. He made her feel so bloody confused. She was always going back and forth in her head over the moments that they shared, trying to decipher that they all meant.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She heard him inhale deeply, his long body instinctively starting to stretch as he woke up. This caused his hips to jut out into her belly and she held her breath and shut her eyes, trying not to feel what was now pressed tightly against her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He must have woken up and realized what he had done because she heard his breath hitch as he quickly backed his hips away from her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hermione?” he asked hoarsely, his voice still groggy with sleep.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not wanting to embarrass him and let him know that she had felt what she had, she pretended to still be asleep. She felt him relax and let out a content sigh before nuzzling his head into the top of her hair. A few minutes later he slowly and carefully peeled himself away from her and got out of her bed and padded away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she was sure that he was gone, she turned and looked at her clock and felt disappointed when she realized that her alarm would be going off in about five minutes. She stood up and stretched her arms above her head, pausing when she heard water running. She hadn't realized that Ron was still at her house, she thought he had already left and gone back to his. Before she could think too much on it though, the bathroom door opened and he was there, his eyes widening at the sight of her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey. Mornin’ ” he said sheepishly, scratching his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This was definitely new territory for them, and she knew that they both weren't sure exactly what to say to each other.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” she responded, a smile starting to stretch across her face at the sight of him looking so awkward. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her smile seemed to reassure him as he smiled back at her. “Sleep well?” he teased.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” she said. “I think there was a giant...</span>
  <em>
    <span>bed bug</span>
  </em>
  <span> in bed with me,” she pretended to shiver. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He let out a small laugh. “Well, as long as it wasn't a spider.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would have preferred the spider,” she quipped.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shook his head. “Now </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> is insulting!” He cleared his throat and took a step closer to her, taking her hand in his. “I would love to stay and argue, but I gotta go get ready for school.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded. “Same.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hope you have a great day,” he smiled and squeezed her hand before turning around and walking out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she heard the front door shut downstairs she let out a huff and fell backwards onto her bed, again desperately wanting to know </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span> he was thinking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few days later, she forced him to go shopping with her so she could pick out a dress to wear to prom. He was sitting directly outside of the changing room as she tried on different dresses that she had picked out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is taking a bloody long time,” she heard him grumble.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s hard to get these things off and on Ronald,” she replied as she rolled her eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You need help?” he asked, the smile evident in his voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope!” she said happily as she finished zipping up the current dress. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You're no fun,” he teased as she walked out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You like this one?” she asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pursed his lips, studying it. “Not particularly, no.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong with it?!” she asked exasperatedly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“First off, it looks way too big on you-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looked down and had to agree. “Fine, next.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she walked back in the dressing room, she looked through the pile and found a very small and sexy red dress that she definitely </span>
  <em>
    <span>hadn't</span>
  </em>
  <span> picked out. Shaking her head, she realized that Ron must have snuck it in at some point. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So that’s why he was snickering earlier</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The prat.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Smiling, she slipped the dress on and looked in the mirror. The top part showed way too much cleavage for her taste, and the bottom part just barely covered her bum. She took a deep breath, wanting to keep her face as neutral as possible, and stepped out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Ron looked up at her, he noticeably jolted, his eyes wide.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about this one?” she asked innocently.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded enthusiastically, eyeing her up and down. “Yeah, I like that one.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She rolled her eyes and went back into the changing room, hearing him start to laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she took it off she picked up a simple black dress. It was plain, but when she slipped it on, it hugged her every curve, the front showing just the right amount of cleavage although the entirety of her back was exposed. It was also just the right length for her and swept the floor gracefully when she moved. She spun in a small circle, liking what she saw. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she stepped out to show Ron, he looked up, a smile gracing his face at the sight of her. “That one’s really pretty,” he said earnestly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ten minutes later, the dress was packed neatly in a white box, and she and Ron went for some ice cream.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ok, so when I outlined this story, it was only supposed to be 10 chapters long. However, when writing chapter 6 (prom etc) it got SO long that I had to split one chapter into three chapters, and this is the second part of that!</p><p> </p><p>Another random fact! Hmmmm. On my birthday last year, we went out to a piano bar to celebrate. Well I hadn't touched alcohol in a very long while so TWO drinks later I was, uhm...<em> happy </em>. Weelllll they then called people to come dance on the stage, and since it was my birthday and I was invincible, I totally did. Unfortunately, I danced too hard and fell right off of the stage. The best part is, my husband recorded it and we have the video evidence FOREVER!!! (Mertronus and BG&amp;P have seen the video evidence ;P)</p><p> </p><p>Lol enjoy!</p><p> </p><p>o</p><p>O</p><p>o</p><p> </p><p>Three weeks later, Hermione was up in her bathroom getting herself ready. Ron was due any minute to come get her and drive her to the hotel venue where the prom was being held. </p><p> </p><p>She had twisted her hair up into a loose, delicate bun in the back of her head and although some stray curls had already wormed their way out, she knew that Ron liked them so she didn't mind. She was wearing dainty sapphire earrings, and a small necklace and bracelet to match. </p><p> </p><p>She rarely wore makeup, but she had powdered her face before adding blush, mascara and eyeliner. She opted for chapstick over lipstick and she smacked her lips, stepping back a bit before making sure that she had applied everything correctly. </p><p> </p><p>She felt a bit silly getting all dressed up when the dance technically didn't start until eight, but they <em> did </em> have a three hour drive ahead of them so she had little choice in the matter.</p><p> </p><p>Even though she was upstairs, she heard the front door opening and she smiled at just how familiar Ron was with her and her home that he had no qualms about just waltzing into her house without even knocking to announce his presence. She heard him start making his way upstairs and she called out of the open door to let him know that she was in the bathroom. When he got to the open doorway, he stood there taking in the sight of her before a smile spread across his face. He was once again wearing his tux and she found it hard to keep herself from just lunging herself at him.</p><p> </p><p>“I knew I’d made the right choice in picking you for my prom date,” he said. “You clean up real nice Hermione.”</p><p> </p><p>She frowned at him. “You picked me as your date for my <em> looks </em>?”</p><p> </p><p>He shook his head. “No. Honestly I would gladly take you as my date even if you were wearing your rattiest clothes and your hair looked like you had just stepped out of a tornado.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s what I <em> thought </em> you said,” she replied, stepping past him into the hallway, not missing the fact that he smelled amazing. Internally squealing, she started making her way downstairs as Ron followed. She got to the front entryway and bent down to put her heels on before quickly standing up and grabbing Ron’s arm, turning him around. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh! Come on, I almost forgot!”</p><p> </p><p>Her parents were still at work, but she had promised them that she would set their camera up on self timer so they could have the obligatory awkward ‘before prom’ pictures. </p><p> </p><p>It was already set up on their tripod in the living room and she saw Ron make a face at her as she went to turn it on and get it ready.</p><p> </p><p>“Do we <em> have </em> to?” he asked</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” she said simply. “We do,” and she smiled when she heard his loud sigh of defeat behind her.</p><p> </p><p>Once she was finished, she turned around and told him where to stand. She made sure that he was in frame before pushing the button and running backwards to stand next to him, demanding him to put his arm around her and smile. The flash went off, and smiling, she walked forwards to see how the picture had turned out. She let out a frustrated groan when she saw that Ron had made an overdramatic face for the picture, his features screwed up as if he had just sucked on a lemon.</p><p> </p><p>“Ron! We are going to do this right! And until we get at least <em> one </em> decent picture for my parents, we are not leaving.”</p><p> </p><p>He laughed. “Okay, okay. But you know I just couldn't resist.”</p><p> </p><p>They took a couple of other pictures before she was satisfied, grinning at the ‘whoop’ sound he made when she told him that they were done.</p><p> </p><p>Ron slung her overnight bag over his shoulder and she grabbed her clutch. When they walked out, Ron had a giant grin on his face as he held out a set of keys and jangled them in front of her face. Following his gaze, she saw a shiny black BMW parked in front of her house. They had previously agreed to take her car for the trip, as it was nicer and much more reliable than his.</p><p> </p><p>Her face scrunched up in confusion. “Ron, is that <em> yours </em>?”</p><p> </p><p>He looked at her as if she were dim. “Hermione. Do you think I could <em> afford </em> that? Of course it isn't mine!” he laughed. “It’s Bill’s car. He let me borrow it for the price that I have to clean it out real good every week for three months.”</p><p> </p><p>“So we’re traveling fancy tonight,” she said as he took her arm and led her to the passenger side before opening the door and helping her inside.</p><p> </p><p>He walked around and got into the drivers side before turning to her with a wink. “Yes. Fancy as <em> fuck </em>.”</p><p> </p><p>The drive was long, but they talked almost non stop the whole way there. There was a whole lot of laughing going on and the conversation never got too serious. Hermione was secretly hoping that tonight would be the night that <em>something</em> would happen between them. After all, they were dressed up nice, they would be dancing together at a posh location, and then afterwards, they would be spending the night together in a<em> motel. </em>She figured if something was going to happen, then this would be the perfect time. </p><p> </p><p>She thought of the night that he had spent the night with her and she warmed as she remembered how waking up in his arms had felt. Unfortunately it hadn't happened since, and neither had anything else for that matter. They would be spending the night together again tonight, and she knew that it would be different this time because she wouldn't settle for <em> nothing </em> happening again. She wasn't sure as to <em> how </em> far she wanted things to go, because thinking about things and <em> doing </em> things were completely different and she was sorely inexperienced while he was not. Perhaps she would just give him a chaste kiss on the lips, just <em> anything </em>to get the ball rolling.</p><p> </p><p>When they arrived in the right city, Ron parked to look at a map, trying to figure out just how exactly to get to where they needed to be. He had decided that they would stop by the motel first to drop off their bags and talk to Charlotte’s uncle to make sure that they would be able to get their room for a discount. </p><p> </p><p>He soon found the correct street, and they pulled up in the parking lot. Ron went in alone to get the key and was gone for only a few minutes before he came back, grinning as he told her that he only had to pay twenty dollars for the room. They drove around to the back of the building where their room was, and Ron grabbed both of their bags before they made their way inside the room. </p><p> </p><p>The first thing that Hermione noticed was that it was a very small room and it only contained one bed right in the middle and a small desk across from it. Ron set the bags down on a desk and went to use the bathroom while she was left to stand there and look around more. It was nothing fancy, but she was happy to see that it was clean, and that the sheets smelled like fresh laundry detergent. Ron walked out of the bathroom then and gave her a strange look as she snapped her body back up, her cheeks pink. </p><p> </p><p>“Were you...<em> smelling </em> the bed?” he asked and she could tell that he was holding back a laugh.</p><p> </p><p>“I had to make sure that I wasn't going to be sleeping on dirty sheets!” she retorted.</p><p> </p><p>He shook his head and chuckled before walking over and taking her hand. “Come on, let’s go to this bloody thing.”</p><p> </p><p>Luckily, the venue was only about a four minute drive away from the motel and soon they were there, and Ron was grumbling about having to dish out ten dollars for parking. (He wouldn't allow her to pay; she had tried) </p><p> </p><p>They parked, and after he helped her out of the car, they strolled arm and arm to the front of the building. Despite her nerves about meeting Ron’s friends, Hermione felt unexpectedly even more excited. The building was large and gorgeous and she felt like they were really going to one of those old fashioned ball dances. Once inside, Hermione was oohing and ahhing over all of the fancy decorum before Ron quickly spotted someone that he knew. Hermione instantly felt a flutter of jealousy when the girl that they were headed to turned to smile at him. She had long straight brown hair and she was extremely pretty.</p><p> </p><p>“Hermione,” Ron said as they neared the girl. “This is Charlotte, Charlotte, Hermione.” </p><p> </p><p>Hermione instantly felt ridiculous for feeling jealous. She knew that Charlotte was Dave’s girlfriend and that nothing had ever happened between her and Ron.</p><p> </p><p>Hermione watched as Charlotte's eyes widened. “Oh, <em> hi </em> Hermione! You're actually here! Ron’s talked about his secret BFF for years, but I was starting to think that you weren't even <em> real </em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Ron raised his eyebrows and stuck his tongue out at Charlotte. “Told you!”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione felt a flush of gratitude. Ron <em> talked </em> about her with his friends. She had never known that.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, Ron spotted someone else behind Charlotte and he instantly looked both alarmed and annoyed. “Bloody hell,” he muttered. “I didn't know Lavender was going to be here.”</p><p> </p><p>Charlotte laughed. “Of course she’d be here Ron, you know how close Parvati and her are!” Seeing the confused look on Hermione’s face Charlotte leaned in closer to Hermione. “Lav is Ron’s one night stand that went wrong. Now she wants <em> more </em> of him- if you know what I mean,” she giggled.</p><p> </p><p>“Char,” Ron said sternly, his face reddening and he suddenly looked as uncomfortable as Hermione felt. </p><p> </p><p>A feeling of unease passed through her when she recognized the girl that was heading towards them as the girl that had kissed Ron in the street the night that she had started that big fight with him. Lavender then reached them, her face lighting up at the sight of Ron before giving Hermione a calculating look. </p><p> </p><p>“Hi you guys!” Lavender said overenthusiastically. “You both look <em> great </em>!” </p><p> </p><p>Hermione didn't miss the fact that she had said ‘both’ rather than ‘all’</p><p> </p><p>Her eyebrows flew up as she watched Lavender fling herself into Ron’s arms, hugging him tightly. Ron almost stumbled back as he clearly hadn't expected her to do so, but he gave her a quick hug back and muttered a hello even though he was still looking rather uncomfortable.</p><p> </p><p>“Ron! Hermione!” a voice called out and they both turned to see Harry walking hurriedly towards them with a big smile on his face. </p><p> </p><p>Hermione immediately ran and met him in the middle and they embraced tightly, Ron close behind. Although she and Ron had kept in contact with him, they hadn't actually seen him since that day that they had met on the beach.</p><p> </p><p>“So good to see you mate!” Ron said as he hugged him, clapping his hand on the shorter boy’s back. </p><p> </p><p>Harry then led them to Dean and Seamus who also were happy to see them. Before she could even get in a full conversation with any of them though, Ron was sweeping her away to introduce her to more of his friends that had just shown up. There was Dave of course, along with twins Parvati and Padma, and two girls named Susan and Hannah.</p><p> </p><p>As she was introduced to the other girls, Hermione couldn't help but wonder if any of them had ever kissed Ron, or heaven forbid had sex with him as Lavender had, but she forced herself to change her train of thought, not wanting to spoil her good mood.</p><p> </p><p>She was soon let in on the secret that all of the girls had snuck flasks in their purses and were spiking their own glasses of punch. Before she knew it, she and Ron were handed their own spiked glasses, and feeling bold, Hermione started drinking from hers. Ron looked extremely surprised by this and he leaned in close to her and told her in barely over a whisper not to feel pressured to drink, that it was alright to say no.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you, a walking ad against teenage drinking?” she teased, but he didn't seem to find this funny and she could tell that he was worried.</p><p> </p><p>“I won’t go overboard, I promise!” she smiled as she leaned into him and he seemed to relax.</p><p> </p><p>When they were both two glasses in, they made their way to the dance floor. Neither of them were very good at all, but that didn't matter because they were having so much fun, swinging each other around in a rhythm that definitely didn't match the music that was being played. Her cheeks hurt from smiling so hard and she hadn't seen the smile leave Ron’s face either. </p><p> </p><p>When a slow song came on, she laid her head on his chest as they swayed together. She had been trying to ignore the fact that Lavender had been eyeing them angrily all night. Although she felt a bit annoyed, Hermione also felt sorry for the girl; why come to prom to pine over someone who was <em> clearly </em> not interested?</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, I have a question,” she heard Ron hesitantly ask.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s your question?” she responded, lifting her head to look up at him.</p><p> </p><p>She could tell that he was thinking about how to word his question and it took him a minute to formulate his sentence. </p><p> </p><p>“You seemed really happy to see Harry.” It was a statement, not a question.</p><p> </p><p>“I was,” she said slowly, not knowing where he was going with this.</p><p> </p><p>“I was just wondering if you, y’know, fancied him,” he said, no longer looking at her.</p><p> </p><p>“Why would you think that I fancied Harry?”</p><p> </p><p>She felt him shrug. “You just hugged him really tight when you saw him, so it just made me wonder.”</p><p> </p><p>She smiled. “No, I don't fancy Harry,” she paused. “However, I <em> do </em> fancy Dean. Unfortunately though, he’s taken.”</p><p> </p><p>She felt him chuckle. “Sorry to break it to you Hermione, but you don't exactly have the right equipment to get Dean’s attention.” </p><p> </p><p>“Shame,” she replied as the music sped up and they started dancing crazily once again. </p><p> </p><p>After a few more dances though, they were both too tired to continue. Hermione’s feet were starting to hurt pretty bad so she made her way to sit at the table with some of the other girls while Ron went to stand with Harry, Seamus, and Dean. Hermione smiled at the happy scene of them all laughing and talking together. She was rubbing her feet, pleased to notice that Ron kept on glancing at her and smiling before returning to his conversations. </p><p> </p><p>With a frown, Hermione watched as Lavender saw her opportunity and made her way to the group of boys, standing right next to Ron as he talked to Harry. Unfortunately for her, Ron didn't even seem to notice that she was even there beside him.</p><p> </p><p>“<em> So </em> ,” started Parvati, making Hermione avert her attention to the other girl. “You and Ron seemed pretty <em> cozy </em> out there. Are you like-his <em> girlfriend </em> or something?”</p><p> </p><p>Beside her, Charlotte snorted loudly, handing Hermione another drink. “I <em> seriously </em> doubt that!”</p><p> </p><p>Slightly offended, Hermione turned to her. “What do you mean?” she asked.</p><p> </p><p>Charlotte waved her hand at her. “Oh, no no, I didn't mean it like <em> that. </em> I just meant that the idea of Ron with a <em> girlfriend </em> ?” she shook her head as if the idea was ludacris. “No <em> way </em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Trying to ignore the growing knot in her stomach, Hermione slowly ran her finger around the rim of her glass. “What do you mean?” she asked, trying not to sound as interested in the answer as she was.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, just that in all the time that I’ve known him, Ron has made it <em> very </em> clear that he’s not the dating type.” She laughed, “I don't even know <em> how </em> many times I’ve heard him say that he will never be <em> anyone’s </em> boyfriend. I mean, the guy’s always down for a hookup, but he always makes it blatantly clear that is <em> all </em> that he’s down for.”</p><p> </p><p>“Unfortunately for Lavender over there. <em> She </em>keeps saying that she’s going to change his mind,” laughed Susan.</p><p> </p><p>Hermione looked back towards Ron and watched as Lavender looked up at him in a way that did not hide her intentions at all. He was still in conversation with Harry though, and still didn't seem to realize that Lavender was there.</p><p> </p><p>Parvati shrugged. “Yeah, Lav’s got it bad.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em> I’ve </em> told her, <em> Dave’s </em> told her, but she just <em> won't </em> listen. Ron is just-unobtainable.” Charlotte sighed. “But still, she persists.”</p><p> </p><p>Parvati took a sip of her punch before speaking again. “My sister, Padma, well she’s hooked up with Ron a couple times, but <em> she </em> knew better than to catch feelings.”</p><p> </p><p>“Who, Ron?” the girl who, if Hermione recalled correctly, was called Hannah, said as she walked up to the table. “Yeah, been there, <em> done </em> that,” she laughed.</p><p> </p><p>The thought of Ron being intimate with these other girls was making her feel physically ill. But even so, what they had been saying before had affected her even more. “He can't really mean that he’ll <em> never </em> be serious with anyone!” The words had just flown out of her mouth and she instantly regretted them when Charlotte looked at her oddly. </p><p> </p><p>“Aren't you and him really close? Shouldn't you already <em> know </em> how he feels about all of this?”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione hoped that her cheeks were not as red as they felt. “I-I mean, we just haven't talked about this particular subject before really…”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” Susan said. “Well, for example, one night we were all discussing relationships and Charlotte here was talking about marrying Dave one day-” Charlotte giggled happily as Susan went on. “Well, Dave joked and said that one day, once Ron found the right girl, that they should have a double wedding to save money, but Ron was <em> not </em> having it.”</p><p> </p><p>Charlotte sat up and took over, “Yeah, so<em> then </em> Ron starts ranting about marriage being a giant scam, and saying that he would <em> never </em> tie himself down to just one woman like that. He said that he would happily remain single for the rest of his life and wouldn't so much as get into a relationship with anyone. He said that just the<em> thought</em> of having only one person for the rest of his life made him feel like he was living a nightmare.”</p><p> </p><p>“I have an uncle like that!” Parvati exclaimed. “He says the same. He’s in his forties and <em> still </em>doesn't want to settle down. I guess some people are just like that.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione quickly chugged the rest of her punch down, trying not to show the other girls how this conversation was making her feel. She had <em>really</em> thought that her and Ron had been moving towards something. Admittedly it was moving very <em>slow</em>, but it was moving, she was almost sure of it. But now? If what these girls were saying was true (and she knew that they had no reason to lie to her) then no matter what, she would lose. Sure, she had heard him say several times that he <em>chose</em> not to be in a relationship with anyone, but he had never said that he meant <em>forever</em>. If he didn't want to be in a relationship, then where <em>were </em>they going? Did he just want to<em> stay</em> friends with her and nothing more?</p><p> </p><p>She tried to cling on to a bit of hope. Even if he was very outspoken with other people about not being ‘tied down’ with anyone, he had never talked about this with <em> her </em> . That <em> had </em> to mean something didn't it?</p><p> </p><p>She excused herself before standing up and making her way to the bathroom. Even though she felt a bit dizzy, she was easily able to make it there. She used the toilet and washed her hands, quickly checking her reflection to make sure that her makeup and hair were still holding up, and thankfully they were. </p><p> </p><p>When she came out, she walked past a table of boys who were openly staring at her and she barely noticed as one of them stood up as she walked by. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey!” he barked out, causing her to turn around in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>She watched as he jogged the few feet over to where she was. “How come I’ve never seen you around here before? You go here?”</p><p> </p><p>Not wanting to be rude, Hermione answered. “No. I don't,” she gave him a small smile before turning around and heading back towards the table where she had been sitting before. </p><p> </p><p>She heard as he let out a loud laugh before grabbing her upper arm firmly. “Hey, I wasn't finished!” he smiled down at her. “I was going to ask you to dance.”</p><p> </p><p>Feeling a bit scared now, she shook her head. “Sorry, I don't dance.”</p><p> </p><p>The boy narrowed his eyes. “You're lying! Come on now, one must not tell lies! I saw you dancing with that<em> ginger</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione shook her head, trying to back away from him, but stopped when she heard a voice coming from right behind her.</p><p> </p><p>“You better get your <em> fucking </em> hands off of her. <em> Now </em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione turned to see Ron looking murderous, his stance wide and his fists clenched at his sides as if ready to fight. </p><p> </p><p>The boy instantly let go of her and stepped back, glaring at Ron. “Fine. I bet she’s a slut anyway.”</p><p> </p><p>Before Hermione had even processed the words, Ron was leaping forward and throwing his whole body weight towards the other boy. She screamed as she watched them both crash on top of an empty table, causing it to collapse due to their combined weight. Ron was then straddling him, his fists punching at whatever he could reach, which wasn't much as the boy had both of his arms covering most of his face and neck.</p><p> </p><p>“Don't-you-dare-call-her-that,” Ron said furiously in between punches. </p><p> </p><p>Despite Ron not being able to hit his intended target (the boy’s face) his punches were solid and by the sound of them, Hermione knew that he was certainly bruising up the spots that he was hitting.</p><p> </p><p>“Ron!” Hermione shrieked as a couple of hotel employees hurried towards them, their faces angry as they talked into walkie talkies, asking for backup.</p><p> </p><p>Ron instantly stopped and turned at the sound of her voice, his eyes following her gaze to watch the people headed angrily towards them. He jumped up and grabbed her hand, pulling her with him as he started running. The gathered crowd parted easily for them as they made their way out of the large double doors and down a hallway where she knew that the front door was. The employees were now running after them, their angry shouts calling out and telling them to stop running or they would be calling the cops. </p><p> </p><p>Ron took an immediate left then and opened the door to a small family bathroom and pulled her inside with him. Once in, he quickly locked the door and pressed his ear to the wood, listening. Hermione just stood there behind him, terrified that they were going to get caught. Ron however, seemed not to have the same idea, his face gleeful as if something truly exciting was happening. </p><p> </p><p>She was grateful that she had had her clutch with her when she had gone to the bathroom as she knew there would be no going back now. </p><p> </p><p>They stood in the bathroom for about five more minutes before Ron turned to her and asked her if she was ready to run. She didn't feel ready at all, but she decided to trust him and she nodded. He put his finger over his lips and opened the door a crack, looking out for only a second before again grabbing her hand and they took off towards the front of the hotel. </p><p> </p><p>They were almost to the large glass doors, but when they passed by the front desk, the woman there yelled for them to stop; apparently she had been warned to watch out for them. Ron, however did not stop, and seeing as he was holding her hand and she didn't have a choice, neither did she. Together they ran outside into pouring rain, Hermione yelling out a hasty apology to the angry woman.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ok a few <em> super </em> important things!</p><p> </p><p>These were written in my notes and were SUPPOSED to be mentioned way back in the very beginning of chapter 6 (makes horrified face) but like the scatterbrained person that I am, I completely forgot to add them (sad face) </p><p> </p><p>You know freaking what? <em> Actually, </em> I’m going to place all of the blame on the super <em> thirsty </em> people of the romione discord for pushing me to deliver on my smut promise and making me rush...yeah...totally <em> their fault!!! </em></p><p> </p><p>So for the story, there are two things that you need to know.</p><p> </p><p>1-Fred and George have already moved out and opened up a joke shop.</p><p>2-Hermione has finished school from the university near her home and is about to move to a live-in University to continue her edu-mu-cation.</p><p> </p><p>Whew! Now that <em> that </em>is out of the way. Random af story about my life (because I enjoy sharing and some of you seem to enjoy as well)</p><p> </p><p>So IRL my (nickname) is ‘Barf’ and a good friend’s nickname is ‘Ugly’ (my sister is called ‘Roach, but she’s not cool enough to be in this particular story) (a random fact about ‘Ugly’ is that she <em> literally </em> has the word ‘Barf’ tattooed on her foot because she wuvs me &lt;3 )</p><p> </p><p>So although we haven't done it in a couple of years, we all love to do this thing that we call ‘car-aoke’, where we drive around in a random neighborhood (or if no one is outside we go to a walmart or grocery store parking lot) and we blare music (usually it is justin beiber’s ‘baby’ or my chemical romance’s ‘helena’ or any of the upbeat spice girl songs) and “Ugly” stands up through the sunroof and serenades (at the top of her lungs) random people who happen to be around (since i’m not as brave as her, I’m always the driver ;p) We always get one of three reactions when we do this.</p><p> </p><p>1-the people love it and start dancing and singing back (our favorite)</p><p>2-they completely ignore us and walk away as fast as they can, pretending that we aren't even there (hurts our feelings)</p><p>3-they give us a quick smile but look at us like we are off of our fucking rockers (facts)</p><p> </p><p>Okay okay I’m done. Just read the freaking story now!    ;)  &lt;3 &lt;3 &lt;3</p><p> </p><p>o</p><p>O</p><p>o</p><p> </p><p>It was pouring down rain when they ran outside, and to make matters even worse, Hermione’s heels immediately got slippery, slowing her down considerably. Still holding her hand, Ron had to slow his pace as well, but they soon made it to Bill’s car and jumped in on their respective sides, quickly closing the doors behind them. </p><p> </p><p>Once in, they turned to look at each other and immediately burst into hysterical laughter. They couldn't have gotten more wet if they had jumped into a swimming pool. Ron looked hilarious with his hair plastered to his head and Hermione was sure that she looked equally as funny. She felt her dress clinging to her body, and she was positive that the rain had ruined her makeup and that she now looked like a racoon. Ron confirmed this when he pulled a napkin out and still laughing, wiped the smudge out from under her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“I cant <em> believe </em> that we just did that!” she squealed excitedly, looking out of her window to make sure that no one had followed them. She didn't think that she had ever felt as exhilarated in her entire life. “I’ve never done <em> anything </em> like that before!” she said, still amazed.</p><p> </p><p>Ron laughed softly. “I must be a bad influence on the perfect Hermione Granger.”</p><p> </p><p>When Hermione looked back at him he was smiling at her, but there was something else in his expression as well that she couldn't quite place. She stared back, taking in the sight of him, the rain still dripping off of his long and freckled nose. The smile fell from her face. She had never wanted to kiss him more, she quickly averted her eyes, clearing her throat to distract herself. </p><p> </p><p>“Let’s get back to the motel. I want to change out of this dress,” she told him.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, let’s go,” he agreed. </p><p> </p><p>The ride to the motel was silent except for the pounding of the rain against the windshield and roof of the car. She wasn't sure if she was the only one who felt as if the air between them was electrically charged; she felt that if he were to so much as reach out and touch her with the tip of his finger, that she would no longer be able to control herself. </p><p> </p><p>When they got to the motel, Ron parked the car and switched it off. They just sat there, looking out of their windows, even though they couldn't see much as the rain was still heavily pouring down.</p><p> </p><p>In the quiet, everything that had happened that night was coming back to her. Now that they were no longer being chased and her heart had finally slowed, she allowed herself to think about things. The way that Ron had kept glancing at her, the dancing that they had done, the way he had asked her if she fancied Harry; as though he hadn't wanted her to say yes. She thought of how it had ended, with Ron getting into a fight with that horrid boy; as if protecting her came just as normal to him as breathing and how they had then run away, and how exciting it all had been.</p><p> </p><p>With a heavy heart, she also thought about the conversation she had been a part of when she had been sitting at the table. Maybe those girls were right, maybe Ron<em> was </em> unobtainable and that is why he had never expressed any desire to be in a relationship; with her <em> or </em>with anybody else for that matter. </p><p> </p><p>Maybe he never would <em> truly </em> be hers, but maybe he <em> could </em> be for hers for just a little while. She knew that there was a chance that she could mess <em> everything </em> up. She could possibly lose him as a friend, or get her heart irreparably broken by giving herself to him. Still, she knew that the choice had already been made and that it was out of her control; she <em> had </em> to do something, she wouldn't be able to hold herself back from him any longer.</p><p> </p><p>She felt tears well up in her eyes at the thought of ruining the amazing friendship that they shared, but she pushed the thought down, choosing to ignore it. She also ignored her fear that he would reject her, pushing that thought down as well. She was determined not to think of <em> anything </em> except him for the time being.</p><p> </p><p>With her heart now beating rapidly again, she watched him. He was still silently looking out of his window at the rain storm, obviously contemplating a way for them to get out of there quickly. “Okay,” he finally said, “On the count of three, we are just going to<em> go</em> for it. Just jump out and haul ass alright?”</p><p> </p><p>When she didn't answer, he turned to her, his mouth opened to say something else, but before he could, Hermione flew forward across the front console, grabbing the back of his head and smashing her lips to his. Ron’s body froze and he let out a grunt of surprise before responding, kissing her back with just as much fervor as she was kissing him. When she tried to put her tongue in his mouth though, he jumped back as if he had been shocked. Panting, he stared hard at her before swallowing thickly. </p><p> </p><p>“Wha-what was <em> that </em> for?” he asked breathlessly, his face furrowed in disbelief, and for a moment she feared that she had made a mistake.</p><p> </p><p>She tried to think of how to answer his question. Truthfully she had a million reasons as to <em> why </em> she had kissed him. He was her best friend. He was her favorite person in the entire world and was always there for her when she needed him. She was bloody in <em> love </em> with him and had been for years. But she said none of this, instead choosing the most recent reason. “That boy-you punched that boy...because he called me a slut.”</p><p> </p><p>Ron slowly shook his head back and forth as he stared at her, the same look of disbelief still on his face. “He-he also <em> grabbed </em> you Hermione. No fucking <em> way </em> was I just going to do <em> nothing </em>.”</p><p> </p><p>He said it so earnestly that she couldn't help but throw herself into him again, kissing him even harder. This time though, he readily accepted her tongue and swirled it with his own, and Hermione remembered just how <em> good </em>it felt to be kissing him like this. </p><p> </p><p>When they broke apart so they could both get a much needed breath, Ron slowly opened his eyes, looking dazed. “Okay,” he said slowly, “Well, uhm, you're <em> welcome </em> .” He almost looked unsure about what had just happened, as if he <em> too </em>were scared to ruin things between them.</p><p> </p><p>She didn't say anything, but she bent down so she could start taking her high heels off of her feet, preparing to run through the rain again. When she looked up at him, he was staring at her with the weirdest look on his face, as if she were a rare animal that he had never seen before. </p><p> </p><p>“Ready?” she asked him, and it seemed to snap him out of his thoughts and he just nodded at her, his eyes now avoiding hers. </p><p> </p><p>“GO!” she yelled and both of them opened their doors and ran out into the pouring rain, shutting the doors behind them. </p><p> </p><p>Ron ran to her, grabbing her hand that wasn't carrying her heels and together, they made their way to the side of the motel. When they got there they paused, their backs pressing against the brick wall to escape the rain, now only a small awning over them.</p><p> </p><p>They turned to look at each other. Ron stared at her, his eyes flitting back and forth between her own, as if he was searching for something. She was about to ask him why he was looking at her like that, when she felt his hands grip her shoulders as he turned, pressing her body into the side of the building as he frantically attacked her mouth with his. She wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him even closer to her, her heart leaping with excitement. He broke the kiss as loud, excited laughter erupted from his throat. She didn't know what exactly it was that he found funny, but she couldn't help as she too started laughing right along with him. </p><p> </p><p>He stopped laughing and cupped her face.“<em> My god,” </em> he mumbled seemingly to himself as his thumbs softly swept over her bottom lip.</p><p> </p><p>He stepped back from her, again grabbing her hand. He shook his head as if to clear it. “Come on,” he laughed, and they took off again, running on the sidewalk until they made it to their motel door.</p><p> </p><p>Ron grabbed the key from his jacket pocket, and Hermione noticed that his hands were shaking as he unlocked the door. Once they were in, Ron quickly locked the door from the inside and as soon as he turned back around, Hermione pushed him back against the door and started kissing him. </p><p> </p><p>Their laughter resumed and he kicked off his dress shoes and socks as she gently pulled him back until they fell to the bed together, their limbs intertwined, their bodies pressed close together. </p><p> </p><p>Though they were kissing passionately, neither of them could quite stop giggling, their laughs going straight into the other's mouth.</p><p> </p><p>"<em> Why </em>are you laughing?" she finally asked him while laughing herself. She knew that she probably wouldn't know how to answer that same question if he directed it back at her, but she wanted to know what he was thinking.</p><p> </p><p>A loud, unflattering laugh erupted from him at her question, and she couldn't help but laugh at the sound, her hands now caressing the sides of his face.</p><p> </p><p>He took a calming breath and slowly rubbed her nose with his. "Dunno," he answered softly. "M'just happy I guess."</p><p> </p><p>"Oh," she said, surprised, even though it was a pretty simple response. "Me too," she added. </p><p> </p><p>She saw him grin before he took her lips again, their kisses becoming more urgent, both of their laughs disappearing, the moment now serious. He laced his fingers with hers and gently pulled them over her head, leaning his body tightly into hers and she could feel the evidence of him wanting her just as much as she wanted him. She knew that they were quickly hurtling towards the point where they would never be able to come back from; if they hadn't already passed it.</p><p> </p><p>She watched as he sat up and removed his jacket, flinging it carelessly to the floor before leaning back down and kissing his way down her neck, kissing her collarbone and the swell of skin over the top of her breasts. She almost felt that she was being worshipped as he kissed her reverently; as if every single inch of her skin was precious to him. </p><p> </p><p>His hands then went to her shoulders, gently grabbing the small straps of her dress before slowly pulling them down her arms. He sat up then, peeling the soft fabric down her body. When the dress was bunched down near her belly, she lifted her hips up, allowing him to finish pulling it off of her before he deposited it on the floor with a small thud. Normally, she would despise the thought of such a beautiful dress being thrown onto the floor so casually, especially as wet as it was, knowing that it would surely wrinkle, but at that moment she really couldn't be bothered to care.</p><p> </p><p>He was sitting up and straddling her hips but not putting any of his weight on her, studying her as if she were a gift that he had just unwrapped. She could tell by his face that he liked what he saw, and as his hands reached out to gently grab onto her breasts, a grin appeared on his face. </p><p> </p><p>"<em> Now </em> I know what they look like," he jested.</p><p> </p><p>She opened her mouth to lightly reprimand him, instead letting out a loud gasp as he gently rolled both of her nipples between his fingers, her gasp making the grin that was previously on his face disappear, only to be replaced by a look of desire.</p><p> </p><p>"<em> Fuck," </em>he muttered under his breath, as she reached up with both of her hands and started to undo the buttons of his shirt. He looked down and watched her hands, his face as though he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. </p><p> </p><p>Once his shirt was off, and before she allowed herself to think too hard about what she was about to do, her fingers flew to his belt buckle and started undoing it, this time the gasp coming from him as her hand accidentally brushed against his rock hard erection through the fabric of his trousers. Once she was done, he fell on top of her again, kicking off his trousers, leaving them both now only in their underwear, two pieces of fabric separating the lower halves of their bodies from each other.</p><p> </p><p>She doubted that she had ever been more turned on in her entire life than she was at that moment. She <em> never </em> wanted to stop kissing him. That amazing kiss from over two years now was <em> nothing </em> compared to what was happening now, their mouths moving together as if they were made for each other, with no hesitation from either of them.</p><p> </p><p>She felt that she would come undone when she felt his fingers go right between her legs, gingerly petting the soaked knickers that she now desperately wanted off of her. The large, hard bulge of him was pressed deliciously against her thigh, only furthering her desire to get rid of everything in between them.</p><p> </p><p>As his fingers slowly and almost teasingly moved against the fabric, she reached down to grab the top of his pants and tried to pry them down his body but was unable to reach far enough to do so. She felt him smile against her mouth, lightly chuckling at her obvious frustration.</p><p> </p><p>“Eager are we?” he teased, pushing himself further into her thigh as she let out a light moan. </p><p> </p><p>Determined, she then lifted her feet, hooking her toes onto the elastic, and with a quick push, she yanked the back of them down past his bum, but unfortunately since he was still pushed into her, the front of him was still covered. </p><p> </p><p>He looked down at what she had done before looking back up at her, a devious grin on his face. “Not quite skilled enough at that-yet.”</p><p> </p><p>She scowled, done with his teasing.</p><p> </p><p>“Just tell me what you want Hermione.” he said slyly as his fingers put even more pressure on the outside of her knickers, circling over her as she writhed from the sensation that was both too much and yet not enough at the same time. </p><p> </p><p>“What <em> exactly </em> is it that you're asking of me?” he whispered as he softly kissed her all over her face.</p><p> </p><p>She let out a small whimper as he pulled the fabric to the side, his fingers touching her for the first time. When he slowly pushed a long finger inside of her, she clung tightly onto his shoulders, overwhelmed. The few times that she had put her own fingers inside of herself, it was nothing-<em> nothing </em> like the feeling of his in her. She wondered how people could <em> do </em> stuff like this all of the time. The feeling was so intense that she felt like she would explode, and it was <em> just </em> his finger.</p><p> </p><p>He slowly kissed his way across her face until his lips were right by her ear.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you <em> want </em> Hermione?” he asked again, adding a second finger in her, making her cry out and violently jerk underneath him. </p><p> </p><p>He let out a groan as he moved his body down and started using his tongue on her, his fingers now moving in and out of her body. She must have already been close, as it didn't take long at all before she was going over the edge, everything coming to a head as she screamed out; her whole body pulsating more than it ever had before.</p><p> </p><p>When she quieted, he pulled his hand away and sat up, finally removing his pants and getting rid of her knickers. He leaned forwards, kissing her hard as he settled between her legs as she loosely wrapped them around his waist, acting on instinct rather than experience.</p><p> </p><p>She could feel him right there, nudging her but not going in. Frustrated,  she tried to push herself onto him, but he backed away a bit.</p><p> </p><p>“I <em> asked </em> you what you wanted Hermione,” he said sternly. “You have yet to answer me. <em> So, </em> I'll ask you again. <em> What do you want? </em>”</p><p> </p><p>Her brain was absolute mush and she doubted she could even form words at the moment, but she focused so she could answer him. “Y-you. I want <em> you </em> Ron,” she said breathlessly.</p><p> </p><p>He looked down at her, his face more intense than she had ever seen it, and then without any warning, he slammed his hips forward, instantly burying himself completely inside of her. She felt her whole body stiffen as she screamed out, feeling the sharp pain of something inside of her tearing.</p><p> </p><p>Above her, Ron stilled and looked down at her, his eyes wide in astonishment. “Wh-<em> What? </em>” he rasped out, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.</p><p> </p><p>Still grimacing, she shook her head, answering the question that she knew he was thinking.</p><p> </p><p>His lips met hers again hungrily, and as he slowly started moving in and out of her, she could tell that he was holding himself back, scared of hurting her more. The sharp pain was quickly gone, and although she still felt a bit achey, she felt her need growing. She urged him on by grabbing his sides and pulling him in even closer, lifting her hips up to meet his. </p><p> </p><p>With every thrust that he made, she moaned, her body overwhelmed by all of the new sensations, her toes curling and her fingers hastily grasping at whatever she could reach. </p><p> </p><p>Ron remained in control, his face concentrated as he bit on his bottom lip, lightly grunting every time that he drove himself into her. He grabbed one of her legs and hiked it up over his shoulder, moving his body higher over hers, making her gasp. With every one of his slow deliberate strokes, he was now going impossibly deeper, angled so his erection was rubbing right against her still sensitive flesh, making the knot in her lower body start to build again, her breath quickening. </p><p> </p><p>Before long, he started going faster, and this only intensified the pleasure. He let out a loud moan, seemingly starting to lose his composure. “Are-you-close?” he panted.</p><p> </p><p>“Y-yes,” she replied, watching him nod before thrusting into her even harder, the bed frame now knocking noisily against the wall. </p><p> </p><p>"You're fucking-<em> amazing </em> -Hermione," he groaned, his eyes now clenched tightly together.</p><p> </p><p>With his words, she felt her body let go once again as she cried out his name, her hands tightly gripping onto his strong shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>Just as she was coming down, Ron flew back, gripping himself in his hand. “<em> Fuck </em>!” he yelled as he came all over the top sheet before turning and collapsing beside her. </p><p> </p><p>Both of them lay there silently, the only sound in the room of their heavy breathing; the storm still loud and thunderous outside.</p><p> </p><p>“What was it that you said once?” Ron said. “<em> Probably not even good in bed </em> ?” he smirked. “I got you there- <em> twice </em>.”</p><p> </p><p>She didn't answer him and his tone changed, his hand now lightly running over the bottom part of her belly. “Hermione, I didn't know. I swear I didn't know.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know you didn't.” she answered quietly.</p><p> </p><p>He licked his lips. “<em> Why </em>? The things that you said made me think that-”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not sure. I guess that I just wanted to seem,<em> I don't know </em> , more <em> experienced </em>than I actually was. So you wouldn't think that I was like-pathetic or something. ”</p><p> </p><p>He pursed his lips, looking sideways at her. “That’s barmy, you know? I could <em> never </em> think you were pathetic-ever.”</p><p> </p><p>“I never <em> lied </em> about it.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, but you <em> inferred </em>.”</p><p> </p><p>“It doesn't matter now anyway Ron.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know it doesn't. I just would have, you know, been more gentle or something.”</p><p> </p><p>She shook head before slowly getting up, Ron watching her.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m just going to shower,” she told him, now feeling exposed as she stood there naked, even though the only light in the room was from the flashing lightning outside.</p><p> </p><p>“Mind if I join you?” he asked a bit hesitantly.</p><p> </p><p>“No. But I want to <em> actually </em> shower,” she laughed.</p><p> </p><p>“I promise not to bother you,” he said with a smile as he got up, tossing the top sheet onto the floor before making his way to the bathroom.</p><p> </p><p>Ron was true to his word, and they had a quick shower together, only touching when their bodies brushed against each other when they took their turns to stand under the showerhead. She got out first and grabbed a towel, drying herself as she walked out of the bathroom.</p><p> </p><p>With the towel now wrapped around her, she stood there next to the bed, looking down at it, wondering what was going to happen between them now; <em> where </em> would they go from here? Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt Ron step up behind her, his arms circling around her middle as he kissed her shoulder, moving his lips up the side of her neck as she leaned her head to the side to give him better access. </p><p> </p><p>He slowly peeled the towel away from her body, dropping it on the floor at her feet as she closed her eyes and leaned back into him. One of his hands was wrapped around her ribcage under her breasts, the other on her stomach and creeping even lower. </p><p> </p><p>“Can I make you feel good again?” he asked huskily in her ear.</p><p> </p><p>She didn't answer, but she sighed and opened her legs a bit more as his fingers reached their destination and started moving against her. He gingerly started rubbing her, slowly getting faster as her breathing got heavier and when she came undone again, the arm that was holding her pulled her to him even harder as her knees buckled. </p><p> </p><p>After she had a moment to come back to herself, she could feel him, hard against her lower back and she leaned back on him, wordlessly letting him know what she wanted. He bent his knees, lowering himself and pushing her slightly forward. When he straightened up, she felt him enter her from behind, and she couldn't help but moan at the fullness she again felt. Still holding onto her, he gently pushed her torso further down onto the bed and started moving, pulling her to him over and over. He was being slow and careful, but even still, this new angle had him going deep; <em> so deep </em>, and it was too much for her and she let out a whimper. </p><p> </p><p>He immediately paused. “Is this too much?” he asked in a concerned voice.</p><p> </p><p>She nodded her head and he immediately pulled out of her and picked her up and laid her down on the bed. He then laid his body next to hers, pulling her close to him as he wrapped her in his arms.</p><p> </p><p>They started kissing again, slow and sweet, as if they weren’t in any hurry, as they were of course, not. Soon, she was pulling him on top of her and he was in her again. Their bodies were wet and so tight against each other as they slid together, their hands intertwined. She gasped and he whispered her name as he kissed her anywhere that he could reach. Before long, he let out a moan and stilled on top of her, his breath heavy on her neck.</p><p> </p><p>When he rolled off of her they lay there together, forehead to forehead. “What are you thinking about right now?” he asked as he swept the hair away from her face.</p><p> </p><p>She was too exhausted to answer. She leaned forward just a bit to give him a light kiss on the lips and before she could formulate another thought, she was asleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Hello. I love you all!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I’m sorry in advance, but you know me and how I am so….yep</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Randomness info- I have 2 dogs, 2 cats, 8 rats, and a rescue possum whom I adore!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Okay, here you go. *bites fingernails*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>They were all at the prom, and Hermione was sitting at the table with Parvati, Susan, Hannah, Padma, and Charlotte. The bouncy music was blaring, and people were dancing all around them, everything a lot brighter than she remembered it. She was a bit confused, as she clearly remembered that she and Ron had left the prom already, but she didn't dwell on it, instead choosing to listen to the words suddenly being spoken to her.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yeah, we’ve all had sex with Ron!” Parvati was saying to her, as if she was discussing something as simple as shopping.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“All of you?” Hermione asked incredulously, not wanting to believe her. Surely he hadn't been with all of them.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yep, every single one,” Ron confirmed as he walked up to the table, his arms around two other girls whom she didn't know. “And now, I’ve fucked you as well,” he said with an arrogant smile.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione’s mouth gaped open in disbelief at his declaration, feeling extremely hurt that he would talk about her in such a manner. “I thought that we- I thought that we were -were different,” Hermione stuttered, feeling her heart start to break as he stared at her with indifference.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ron pulled his arms off of the other girls and sat down in the chair beside her. He took her hand in his as he stared at her as if she were pitiful. “Hermione. Just because you're my best friend, it doesn't mean that having sex with you was any different to having sex with any of them,” he gestured at all of the giggling girls at the table, who seemed to find all of this very funny.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“But it-it felt so real, so special,” she cried, begging him to understand. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He shook his head, amused. “Yeah, maybe to an inexperienced virgin,” he laughed. “To me though, it’s all the same. Just meaningless sex.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She gulped and looked down, no longer able to keep herself from crying. She felt his hand gently swipe the tears from her face and she looked up at him hopefully. This was Ron, her Ron. Only he could touch her so gently as he just had, as if he really and truly cared. Ron would never hurt her like this, would he?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Ron, I love you,” she blurted, searching his face for his reaction.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She watched as he sighed, looking exasperated. “Hermione, why do you always have to take things so seriously? I care about you, we are friends. If you want to be ‘friends with benefits’ from now on, I will gladly accept that. But that’s as far as I’m willing to go. You're not my bloody girlfriend, nor will you ever be.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Girlfriend?” Susan cackled behind him. “Ron doesn't want a girlfriend!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“She must have a thing for hopeless cases!” laughed Padma.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Desperate virgin loser!” one of them cried out before bursting into laughter.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She jumped up from the table and turned around, needing to get away from them. She tried to ignore the still incoming insults being directed loudly behind her and let out a loud sob when she heard Ron loudly join in, laughing at her as she ran away.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione gasped as she woke up. She reached up to wipe the tears from the sides of her face, trying to move as little as possible, her breaths still coming out in small short puffs. She turned her head to see Ron, still deeply asleep next to her and now splayed out on his back. It was early, the sun just barely starting to rise in the sky and peeking through the blinds of the motel room. She relaxed her body and started to be able to breathe in deeply, though her heart was still pounding from the dream that she had just had.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Slowly, she crawled out of the bed, gently removing Ron’s arm from the top of her naked torso. Once on the ground, she padded backwards towards the bathroom, making sure that she hadn't woken him, and was reassured to see that he didn’t even stir. She quietly grabbed her bag before making it to the bathroom and walking in, quickly locking the door behind her. Once the door was locked, she turned around and burst into tears, grabbing a small towel that was folded neatly on the counter, and using it to muffle her cries. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She allowed herself to fall apart for only a few minutes before she forced herself to pull it back together. She rinsed her face in the sink, the cool water making her feel just a bit better. She then used the bathroom, the slight soreness between her hips reminding her of what had transpired last night. With a sigh, she wet a rag and cleaned between her legs yet </span>
  <em>
    <span>another</span>
  </em>
  <span> reminder of last night. She was glad that she religiously tracked her cycle, and knew that she had ovulated over a week ago, so her chances of ending up pregnant were pretty much slim to none. At least that was </span>
  <em>
    <span>one </span>
  </em>
  <span>thing that she felt she didn't need to worry about.</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>Still sitting, she threw the rag in the sink and put her head in her hands. She had had </span><em><span>sex</span></em><span> with</span> <span>Ron last night; not only that, she had practically begged him for it. Doing something so rash was so unlike her, and although she could have blamed it on the fact that she had been a little bit tipsy, she knew that it had been </span><em><span>more</span></em><span> than that. It was like all the years of her pent up longing had burst through, and she had finally taken what she had wanted for so long. But then, that wasn't </span><em><span>technically</span></em><span> true, at least not fully. She had already known that she was in love with him, but now she </span><em><span>knew</span></em><span> what being with him was like and it had been better than she could have ever imagined. Even though she now knew that he would freely give his body to her, what she </span><em><span>really</span></em><span> wanted was his heart, and she knew that</span><em><span> that</span></em><span> wasn't going to happen.</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She only had herself to blame for the way that she was feeling right now though. Last night, she had forced herself not to care or even</span>
  <em>
    <span> think</span>
  </em>
  <span> about what the consequences would be if she slept with him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had expected disappointment in the morning, but she hadn't been prepared for the horrible heartbreak she now felt as the reality of the situation sank in. She felt as if there were a vice around her chest, her heart literally aching. After everything, she knew that things couldn't just go back to how it had been before, and it had been stupid of her to think that they could. She wanted </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span>, so much more than she was sure that he would be willing to give her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sniffed. Right now, Ron was basically living every teenage boy’s fantasy. He could have a different girl every time if he wanted; no strings attached, no commitment to anyone. She knew that he wouldn't just give that up. But really why would she </span>
  <em>
    <span>expect</span>
  </em>
  <span> him to? It wasn't like he was in love with her as she was with him. He had never given her any clear indication that he wanted their relationship to go further than it had been just yesterday, </span>
  <em>
    <span>before</span>
  </em>
  <span> the prom. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before last night, they had only been friends. Very </span>
  <em>
    <span>close</span>
  </em>
  <span> friends, but friends nonetheless. Just because she had been intimate with him, it didn't give her </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> right to ask him for anything more, even though it was what she desperately wanted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After all, it wasn't an automatic rule that if you slept with someone then you had to be in a </span>
  <em>
    <span>relationship</span>
  </em>
  <span> with them, that’s not how it worked. If that were the case, then Ron would have had many girlfriends by now. No, to him, it was different-to him it had been just another night, and now she was just another girl that he happened to have ‘hooked up’ with. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn't blame him though, </span>
  <em>
    <span>she </span>
  </em>
  <span>had been the one to initiate things. In fact, she remembered that he had seemed hesitant at first, but she had persisted and-well, he had only given her what she had asked for. It was one thing to be upset with him if he had been the one to have started things, but he hadn't; it had been all her doing. Maybe that’s why he had never made a move, despite all of his flirting words. He certainly knew her well enough to know that she wasn't the kind of girl who did things like this so casually, so he had probably held himself back because he didn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> to have to let her down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>She wasn't exactly sure </span><em><span>how</span></em><span> he</span> <span>would act towards her now. Would he regret it? Would he feel guilty about allowing things to get so far? Would he treat it like a</span><em><span> joke</span></em><span>, like it had meant nothing? The thought of this terrified her. Maybe he would even think that they would be ‘those’ kinds of friends from now on, even though she</span> <span>knew that he would </span><em><span>never</span></em><span> force her to do anything that she didn't want to do. </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The truth was, she really had </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span> idea what was going on inside his head. Ron wasn't exactly a person who talked about his feelings; </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He had always let her know how he felt with his actions, rather than his words; he had always been that way. The few times that he had talked seriously with her about something that he was feeling, she had been able to tell how uncomfortable he had been and those moments hadn't lasted long at all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She knew that the main problem now would be not letting him know how she felt. She knew that it would be pretty impossible though, as he had always read her well. Not only that, but they had a three hour drive home that they had to make together. She panicked at the thought of being alone with him for three hours with nothing to do but talk. She knew that she couldn't tell him how she felt. She was </span>
  <em>
    <span>much</span>
  </em>
  <span> too vulnerable right now and his rejection would break her; she wouldn't be able to handle it. She knew she would just end up completely breaking down in front of him and he would surely be horrified if she did. He would feel awful and blame himself, even though he wasn't at all at fault.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No, she wouldn't be able to face him, not right now; she needed time. She knew that she was being a coward, but she couldn't stomach it; she would have to figure out another way home. She needed to get away so she could figure things out on her own.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She took a deep breath, formulating a plan in her mind as she hastily got dressed. She decided that she was going to quietly gather all of her things and leave without waking him. She would walk down to the front of the motel and use their payphone and call a taxi. She had brought extra cash with her, and would use that to get home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taking a deep and determined breath, she opened the door and walked out, making sure to be as quiet as possible. She wrote a note on the back of a napkin, letting Ron know that she didn't feel good and that she had called a taxi to take her home. She felt extremely guilty for lying and for leaving him, but she wasn't ready to face the alternative.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luck wasn't on her side though, because as soon as she bent down to pick up her dress off of the floor she heard him start to wake up. She froze, holding her breath as she watched him. Slowly, his eyes opened and he looked up at the ceiling, taking in his surroundings. His head turned to his right to look on the other side of the bed where she had been sleeping. When he didn't see her there, his head turned to the left and when he saw her there, his face relaxed. He started to smile but his smile fell as he must have noticed the look that was on her face and he sat up quickly, looking alarmed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hermione?” he asked, his voice still groggy. “What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Damn. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She just shook her head at him, unable to talk, and horrified when she was unable to stop the tears from falling down her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He quickly jumped out of bed, and she averted her eyes as he hastily bent down to pick up his pants from off of the floor. He slipped them on before moving to stand directly in front of her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s going on?” he asked again as he reached out to touch her. She shook her head and stepped back, feeling awful for the hurt that she saw registering across his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hermione, what the hell is going </span>
  <em>
    <span>on</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” he said, his voice starting to sound panicked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry-I just-” she put her head in her hands, trying to will herself to calm down but only started crying harder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a long, pregnant pause before she heard him speak again. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Shite</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You regret it. You regret what happened last night, don't you?” he asked quietly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Did</span>
  </em>
  <span> she regret it? There wasn't an easy answer to that. While there was a small part of her that would never take it back, there was also a bigger part of her, the </span>
  <em>
    <span>logical</span>
  </em>
  <span> side of her that knew that it had been a colossal mistake and that it had changed </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything </span>
  </em>
  <span>forever. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It shouldn't have happened,” she choked out. “I wasn't thinking and-” It was true, she hadn't been thinking, but that had been purposeful and now she was paying the price for it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He let out a loud frustrated noise and ran his hands through his hair. “Hermione I wouldn't have fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>touched</span>
  </em>
  <span> you if I knew that you were going to-I mean- I really thought that you-</span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he yelled angrily, his hands now clasped at the back of his head. He took a deep calming breath before shaking his head. “Honestly, I don't even know what to </span>
  <em>
    <span>say </span>
  </em>
  <span>right now. Are-are you okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is all my fault,” she cried, feeling horribly guilty.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He gave a humorless snort “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Fault</span>
  </em>
  <span>. No, I should have known.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I'm sorry,” she squeaked, not knowing what else to say.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No Hermione. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I'm sorry</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I don't even know what the </span>
  <em>
    <span>hell </span>
  </em>
  <span>I was thinking,” he said, sounding remorseful. He sighed, reaching out to gingerly rub her arm, trying to reassure her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not-” her jaw quivered. “I’m not one of those girls that you- I don't </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> these kinds of things Ron.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His eyes widened. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>What</span>
  </em>
  <span>? You think that I don't </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> that? Of course you aren't like them, you're- Hermione, if you think for one </span>
  <em>
    <span>second</span>
  </em>
  <span> that I think-” he stuttered, and she could tell by his face that he was extremely frustrated with himself for not being able to properly express what he was thinking. “You know that I’m not good with words, but Hermione-we can figure this out though, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> we can. Just- just tell me</span>
  <em>
    <span> exactly</span>
  </em>
  <span> what it is that has you upset.” He paused. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Talk</span>
  </em>
  <span> to me,” he said softly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She shook her head. “I don't </span>
  <em>
    <span>want </span>
  </em>
  <span>to talk about it. I just-I have to leave.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Leave? I just- I want to know what you're </span>
  <em>
    <span>thinking</span>
  </em>
  <span> right now Hermione. You have me scared to fucking death because I don't know what to do and-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ron I </span>
  <em>
    <span>can't</span>
  </em>
  <span>- I don't want to talk to you right now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s just </span>
  <em>
    <span>talk </span>
  </em>
  <span>about it,” he pleaded again, his voice on the verge of despair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is there to </span>
  <em>
    <span>talk</span>
  </em>
  <span> about Ron?” she cried. “It was a mistake.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A </span>
  <em>
    <span>mistake?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he said sadly. “Is that what I am to you now Hermione? A </span>
  <em>
    <span>mistake?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She shook her head as she walked backwards to the door. “I-I can't do this right now Ron.” she said in a little over a whisper.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She watched as his face softened, “Why can't you </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> this Hermione? What do you even </span>
  <em>
    <span>mean </span>
  </em>
  <span>when you say that?” he asked before gulping, suddenly looking nervous. “Will you-will you listen to </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> then? You don't have to say anything just-just listen.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She knew that this was where the whole ‘I care for you but I don't want to be with you' speech would come into play, and she couldn't allow him to start that particular conversation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ I </span>
  <em>
    <span>already</span>
  </em>
  <span> know what you're going to say Ron,” she said as she took another step backwards to the door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” he asked slowly, looking at her intensely.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> “Yes,” she said firmly. “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and I don't want to hear it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He let out a sigh and turned his face from her, a look of pain passing across it and she could tell that he had tried not to let her see. “Fine. If you don't want me to say it, then I won't.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright then.” he finally said, his voice cracking. “Friends then?” He swallowed thickly as he stared at her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course. Nothing has to change right?’ she said, knowing that everything had already changed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I guess not.” He gave her a small smile but she could see no humor behind it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I'm going to go downstairs to call a taxi,” she said quietly. “You can take your time and leave when you're ready-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>What?</span>
  </em>
  <span> No Hermione. I’ll get my stuff. I can be ready to leave in five minu-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No Ron. I need to be alone right now,” she felt as if she was about to break down again, and needed to get away, fast.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked down at the floor. “No, you just need to be away from</span>
  <em>
    <span> me</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he said quietly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn't deny it. “I just need a while, okay? Please understand.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I won’t-I won’t say a word the whole ride if you don't want me to,” he tried. “I’m not going to let you ride in a bloody </span>
  <em>
    <span>taxi</span>
  </em>
  <span> for three hours Hermione. Let me take you ho-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No!” she cried out loudly, taking them both by surprise.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He let out a loud and frustrated sigh. “Ok! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fine.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Well-then-just- hang </span>
  <em>
    <span>on</span>
  </em>
  <span> a damn minute. I’ll be right back.” He walked over to his bag and threw on a shirt and shorts before turning and walking out, not even bothering to put on shoes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Under a minute later he was back, and when he walked in the door his face was unreadable and he didn't look at her. He grabbed Bill's car keys from the top of the desk and thrust them out towards her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here. Go,” he said sternly. “Dave and Charlotte are in the room next door, and I’m going to ride back with them. You take the car. Just-park it in my driveway and leave the key with Ginny or something.” His demeanor was now cold, his voice flat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She shook her head, opening her mouth to tell him that she couldn't do that, but he cut her off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop,” he ordered harshly. “You need to get away from me, so </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> it Hermione. Just-just </span>
  <em>
    <span>go.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” she choked out. “Ron-I’m sorry...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Me too,” he said dejectedly as he sat on the edge of the bed, now staring at the floor, his jaw clenched tightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before she could say or do anything else, she ran out of the room. She quickly made her way to Bill’s car that was parked right where they had left it last night. Once inside, she immediately burst into tears again. She felt absolutely humiliated for the conversation that had just taken place, and for the way that she had treated him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She knew that she should have just stayed and talked to him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sure</span>
  </em>
  <span>, it would hurt, but she knew that it had probably had to be talked about at some point. She paused, a battle going on internally between her head and her heart. In the end though, her heart won, unwilling to be broken even further at the moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She started the car and pulled away, easily getting on the main highway that would lead her straight home. She cried off and on the whole drive, part of her desperately wanting to turn back around and apologize, the other part terrified at the prospect of seeing him again and wanting to get as far away from him as possible. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before she knew it, she was pulling into the Weasley’s driveway. She got out and knocked on the door, desperately hoping that Ginny would be the one to answer. She sighed in relief when it was in fact Ginny who opened the door, the other girl instantly looking alarmed as she took in Hermione’s disheveled appearance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Take these and give them back to Ron-or Bill. I guess whoever you see first,” she croaked out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ginny took the keys, but stared hard at Hermione. “What </span>
  <em>
    <span>happened</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” she asked in her no nonsense voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione definitely didn't want to talk about it, especially with Ron’s sister. “Just a fight,” she forced out a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ginny rolled her eyes. “Well I hope you make up soon. Ron turns into a right nightmare when you two are fighting.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure it will be resolved soon,” she lied before bidding the girl goodbye and walking over to her own house, her bag slung over her shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, her parents weren’t home so there would be no further questions for the time being. When she made it up the stairs to her room, she glanced out of her window to see that Ron’s curtains were open, his room empty. She crawled into her bed, pulling a pillow to her chest as she hugged it tightly. She was out of tears so she didn't cry, but she closed her eyes, falling asleep quickly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was woken up several hours later when she heard the front door opening, the sounds of her parents talking happily coming from downstairs. The first thing that she did was lean up and look over into Ron’s window. His curtains were now closed so she figured that he was home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stayed up in her room the rest of the day, telling her parents that she had a stomach virus to avoid any questions about ‘prom’. Even though Hermione felt bad about lying, she knew that she would rather lie than face the truth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The days passed slowly after that. Ron hadn't tried to contact her at all, and she didn't have the heart to contact him either. He knew that she was leaving in just under a week, and surely he was not just going to let her leave without talking to her at all, right? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Five days after prom, Hermione woke up to the sound of loud giggling, and as she rubbed her eyes she realized that the sound was coming from outside of her cracked window. She stood up and made her way over to it, even though everything in her was warning her not to. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The very first thing she noticed was that Ron was outside, and it was the first time that she had seen him since she had left him alone in the motel room. The second thing that she noticed was that he wasn't alone, Lavender was there with him. She watched as he leaned against the side of his house, pulling Lavender tightly against him as he spoke quietly to her, his face inches from hers. He didn't even try to quiet her as she loudly giggled, throwing her head back from laughter at whatever he had said to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione knew that she shouldn't watch, that she </span>
  <em>
    <span>couldn't</span>
  </em>
  <span> watch, but she was frozen, unable to look away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She almost outwardly gasped as she watched Lavender drop to her knees in front of Ron, her hands frantically pulling at the fastening of his trousers. Tears stung her eyes as she watched one of Ron’s hands tangle itself up in Lavender's hair as her head bobbed backwards and forwards in front of him, leaving no questions about just </span>
  <em>
    <span>what </span>
  </em>
  <span>was happening. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron’s head was leaned back against the side of his house, his eyes closed as he obviously enjoyed what Lavender was doing to him. Suddenly, his eyes opened and he looked straight up at her, the glass not hiding his determined gaze. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He had done this on purpose.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><span>Of course he had. He could have gone </span><em><span>anywhere</span></em><span>, but he had chosen to bring Lavender to the side of his house, a place that was in</span><em><span> clear</span></em><span> sight to Hermione. Although she still blamed herself for throwing herself at him that night of the prom, she took </span><em><span>no </span></em><span>blame for what</span> <span>was happening right now. He was going </span><em><span>too</span></em><span> far. What was he trying to prove right now? That he could mess around with any girl whenever he wanted? That she held no claim to him? Well his message was coming out loud and clear.</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She turned around, ripping open her desk drawer and grabbing the scissors that were there, just where they belonged. She opened her window all the way and took the scissors to the rope. Since the rope was thick, and the scissors were only paper scissors, it took longer than she would have wanted, but in about eight seconds, the rope was completely severed. She watched with satisfaction as the rope, along with the pail, flew down, the metal pail hitting the side of Ron’s house with a loud clang merely feet away from where Ron and Lavender were.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The couple in the grass jumped at the unexpected noise, Ron’s eyes immediately jumping back to hers, his face not hiding his anger and disbelief at what she had done. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stared back at him defiantly, crossing her arms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lavender, who was now standing up, looked up at Hermione before looking back at Ron, her face confused.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You really can do better Lavender,” Hermione called down. “You should find someone who treats you with more respect. Someone who doesn't bring you to the side of a </span>
  <em>
    <span>house</span>
  </em>
  <span> to perform fellatio.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lavender too, crossed her arms, moving to stand in front of Ron as he buckled up his trousers. “He didn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>ask </span>
  </em>
  <span>me to do anything Hermione. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted</span>
  </em>
  <span> to!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Girl to girl Lavender, he’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>using </span>
  </em>
  <span>you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well I’ll </span>
  <em>
    <span>gladly</span>
  </em>
  <span> be used by him, thank you very much!” Lavender said rudely.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron grabbed Lavender’s hand and started to pull her away, giving a final glare to Hermione before he turned around.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You're </span>
  <em>
    <span>disgusting</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ronald Weasley!” she shrieked, unable to stop herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She saw his body freeze at her words, but he didn't turn around. Lavender however, quickly turned, her face angry and mouth open to retort, but Ron stopped her, again pulling her away, and then they were out of sight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She slammed her window shut and climbed back into bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next afternoon, she was sitting in her room, going through all of her bags and making sure that she had everything that she needed before she took off. Although she had been taking college classes before, she was switching schools and was finally going to have the ‘full’ university experience. She would be living almost five hours away from here, away from her parents, away from the ginger boy that had once been her best friend. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was over between them, she was sure of that now. He had known for a while that she was leaving today, and now he couldn't even bother himself to come tell her goodbye. After the disaster that had been last night, she had hardly had expected him to, but she admitted to herself that she had been holding out a very small ounce of hope that he would come. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her parents had told her earlier that morning that they were going to be putting the house on the market, choosing to find a smaller place for just the two of them out in the country. Soon, she would have zero reasons to come back here ever again, zero ties to Ronald Weasley. Her eyes watered but she held her tears in, choosing to look forwards instead of backwards, telling herself that she would learn how to cope.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When her dad came to carry her luggage to her car, she plastered a smile on her face, the expression of a happy university student excited about heading off for bigger and better things. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the driveway, she gave her proud parents several hugs each as they fussed over their only daughter, repeatedly telling her how proud of her they were. She couldn't help but keep glancing over at Ron's house, looking for any signs that he cared that she was leaving; but she saw none.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the goodbyes could no longer be strung out any further, Hermione got into her car and backed out of her driveway as her parents walked backwards into the house, waving until the front door was closed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As she slowly drove down her street, she finally allowed herself to cry. Her tears blurred her vision, so when she got to the end of the street and turned the corner, she didn't notice the tall red headed figure that was standing in the middle of the street in front of the house that she had just left, watching her as she drove away.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Hello! I decided to finish and post this tonight so I can get started on the next chapter so I hope you enjoy it!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>randomness….uhmmm...I’ve been with my now-husband since I was sixteen, and I love him and Ron Weasley very much ;) LOL</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the professor called out the end of class, Hermione packed up her books and her notes, putting them away quickly, the other students around her doing the same. Slinging her large bag over her shoulder, she bid farewell to the few people around her and briskly headed out the door. She walked down the crowded hallway, and when she made it outside, she took a deep breath of fresh air and momentarily closed her eyes, the sunlight feeling wonderful on her skin. It was a Thursday afternoon, and she had just left her last class of the day and planned to head back to her dorm room, ready to be able to sit down and relax. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was nearing the end of her second semester at school there, and her end of the semester exams would be coming up in the next few weeks so she had been working tirelessly, wanting to do her very best. As far as grades went, she was doing her usual, making high marks, constantly studying, and getting her work done before it was due. She was on the dean’s list and all of her professors were thoroughly impressed with her, however, she could hardly call herself content. She didn't feel herself anymore, hadn't felt like herself since she had arrived. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>University life had been just about what she had expected, albeit more lonely and much less exciting. She could only blame herself for that though of course. Aside from one party that her roommate, Katie Bell had practically dragged her to, she had not gone out at all, choosing only to focus on her schoolwork, or staying in and reading whenever she found the extra time. Surprisingly she had been asked out several times, though she had been fast to turn them all down, not even remotely ready to put her heart out there any time soon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She threw almost everything that she had into school partly to do well, but also because she needed to occupy her mind from </span>
  <em>
    <span>other</span>
  </em>
  <span> things. She felt like a large part of her was missing,</span>
  <em>
    <span> a tall</span>
  </em>
  <span>, </span>
  <em>
    <span>loud, ginger</span>
  </em>
  <span> part of her. She missed him every single day that had gone by, a little over eleven months since she had last seen him. She knew that he had been a huge part of her life, but she hadn't realized just </span>
  <em>
    <span>how</span>
  </em>
  <span> big until he hadn't been there anymore. It wasn't even just in a romantic way either; he had been a constant in her life for so long, that he was interwoven into every single piece, and without him there, nothing was the same.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Every interesting, funny, or frustrating thing that happened to her, her first thought was that she needed to tell Ron. This thought of course was quickly followed by her remembering that he was no longer a part of her life, often taking her breath away when the truth hit her with the subtlety of a tidal wave. It hurt, and she would quickly try and shift topics in her head, although this tactic only worked half the time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was often in her dreams, and on the rare occasions when she wasn't shoving herself into her schoolwork, he was there in her daydreams as well. Maybe he was even </span>
  <em>
    <span>always</span>
  </em>
  <span> there in her mind, just respectfully stepping back a bit so she could finish an essay, or master a pop quiz. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>While she had known that being in love with someone was very much involuntary, she had been learning just how impossible it was to fight those affections. Even still, after all these months, the feelings she felt for him were the same, they hadn't lessened at all. Sure, she had days where she was just </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> mad at him, the memory of him with Lavender on the side of the house that night making her want to spit fire. Other days though, she just wanted to drive back to his house to profusely apologize and beg him to forgive her so they could mend their friendship. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It seemed like such a waste to her, that two people who were once </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> close to each other now didn't speak at all. He had hurt her badly, but she had a feeling that maybe she had hurt him just as bad, and that thought made her feel extremely guilty. After all, regardless of everything that had happened, she knew that Ron cared a great deal for her... well at least he </span>
  <em>
    <span>had, </span>
  </em>
  <span>probably not anymore. She wondered if he even thought of her at all now, or if he was too consumed with other girls that could easily take her place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn't know which idea she preferred-the one where he was just as miserable without her as she was without him, or the idea that he didn't miss her at all and was having the time of his life doing whatever he was doing, not even giving her a second thought.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On nights that she was feeling brave, she would allow herself to think about the night that they had shared in that motel. If she closed her eyes she could almost feel him again, taste him again, see the way that he had looked at her. Sometimes this collapsed her into a pile of tears and she was inconsolable, while other nights the memory warmed her up from the inside, making her feel as if it could fuel her for longer and giving her strength to forge ahead.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She finally made it to her building and made her way inside. She walked down the hallway to her left and stopped in front of her door. With her bag heavy on her shoulder, she struggled to take her key out of her pocket, but after a few seconds she managed and quickly unlocked the door and walked inside. All of the lights were off and everything was quiet as she stepped in and kicked her shoes off by the welcome mat just inside the door. Katie had told her earlier that she would be gone until late that night, so she knew that she would have the room completely to herself until then. Although she liked Katie very much, Hermione immensely enjoyed her alone time and was glad for the silence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sighing, she carefully set her bag on the floor, and was about to fall into her waiting bed before something caught her eye. The single room phone and answering machine that sat on the small nightstand between her and Katie’s bed was blinking. She walked over to and saw that there were 16 new voicemails, the number flashing red over and over as if demanding to be listened to.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Who on earth</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” she mumbled to herself, but as she reached her finger out to click the button on the machine to listen to the voicemails, the phone started ringing again, making her jump. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She went back and forth on whether she should answer it, but just after three rings, her hand shot out and she picked it up, putting it to her ear. “Hello?” she asked hesitantly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She could hear someone on the other end breathing, and for a second, she felt afraid and regretted answering. Ron had forced her to watch enough scary movies throughout the years that the fact that no one was talking right away was enough to make her feel wary. “Helloooo?” she asked again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hermione?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her heart stopped in her chest. She knew that voice better than she knew her own, but just from the one word he had said, she could immediately tell that something wasn't right. Something was off, more than that, something was terribly terribly </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong</span>
  </em>
  <span>. This was confirmed when she heard the sound of Ron starting to heavily cry on the other end of the line.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before packing her bags and getting ready to leave, she emailed every one of her professors, letting them know that she would be gone for at least a week, possibly longer. They were all very understanding, and told her that they would accept her week’s assignments at a later date and she had thanked them profusely. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Early that next morning, Hermione pulled onto the street that she had grown up on, but hadn't been on since leaving for University. She parked across the street in front of the Weasley home before slowly getting out of the car. The weather was gloomy, and even though she was outside and nobody was out there with her, there was an air of sadness around the home that was usually so happy and boisterous. As she walked up the front walkway, she glanced at what had used to be her home. The house looked about the same, even though she knew that other people lived in it now and that everything inside would look completely different. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she looked in between the houses, she saw that the pulley system was completely gone, as if it had never even been there at all. She felt the tears well up in her eyes at the sight, her stomach clenching in regret and heartache at how things used to be and how things were now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she made it to the front door she knocked, and the door was almost immediately opened by Ron’s older brother Charlie, who upon seeing who it was, pulled her in for a bone crushing hug. Soon after, she was hugging other members of the Weasley family, and even some extended family as well. The living area was full of people, yet the room was eerily quiet, grief on all of the faces. The only members of the family that she did not see were Mr. &amp; Mrs. Weasley, George, Bill, and Ron. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s up in his room,” Ginny told her as she looked around. “Hasn't wanted to come down at all.” She gave Hermione a sad smile. “Go on up, you being here will help him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione nodded and gave Ginny one more hug before making her way upstairs, the path still so familiar to her, as if she had just walked it yesterday. Ron’s door was closed but unlocked, and she opened it slowly. The room was dark, the curtains drawn, and she shut the door behind her, letting her eyes adjust before she looked around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron was asleep in his bed. He was laying on his back and had his hands up by the sides of his head, his legs stretched out straight and just hitting the wooden footboard. His face was worry-free and innocent as he slept, her heart aching at the sight of him after so long, his presence like a breath of fresh air even though it was heavily weighed down by the recent loss. She thought about just sitting in his chair and waiting until he woke up, but she knew that he wouldn't want her to, and now that she was there she desperately wanted to hold him. She took a breath and walked over to the bed, pulling up his blanket and crawling under it with him, wrapping her arms tightly around his wide shoulders, pulling his head just under her chin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It took him a moment, but when he realized that she was there, he turned and his arms encircled her as well, grasping and holding onto her as if she would disappear. He pulled her so tightly against him that it was a bit hard to breathe, but she didn't mind because he needed her right now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once she was in his embrace, he didn't say or do anything, he just held her to him with his face pressed into her chest, his hands splayed out on her back, his grip on her not loosening.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ron..” she whispered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her one word caused his body to start shaking with sobs, the sound of them making her feel as if she were being stabbed repeatedly in the heart.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tears now rolling down her own face, she just held tightly onto him, knowing that there was nothing that she could say, so she didn't even try. He was gasping and sputtering into her, his tears quickly soaking the front of her shirt as she held onto him, making sure that he knew that this was okay. After a while, he slowly quieted, yet his hold on her was still secure. He was only sniffling now, his face turned a bit to the side now so he could breathe properly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You're </span>
  <em>
    <span>here</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he croaked, his voice even more terrible than it had been on the phone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am,” she answered as she ran her fingers through his hair. “For ever long you need me to be.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You said you were coming, but I wasn't sure. I never thought I’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>see</span>
  </em>
  <span> you again Hermione,” he breathed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn't answer him, just continued to stroke his hair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mum won’t leave her room, Dad has tried, but she refuses. We don't even </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> where the hell George is. Bill and Charlie have been running fort, taking care of things.” He sighed. “It’s a bloody fucking mess.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What...what happened?” she asked quietly. He had been crying too hard to tell her any real details on the phone, other than Fred was dead and he needed her to come and she had promised that she would.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Drunk driver,” Ron said sadly. They were on their way to work and he just came out of nowhere... t-boned them on Fred’s side. There was nothing that they could do, he was already-he was already gone by the time the ambulance got there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Ron, I’m so sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“George got busted up a bit,” he continued. “He has a broken arm, some bruised ribs, a small concussion. He left the hospital AMA and we don't know where he is. Dad and Bill are out looking for him now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don't know what to say, other than I’m sorry. Do you need me to </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> anything?” she asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shook his head. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>being </span>
  </em>
  <span>here is enough. Hell, I’ve </span>
  <em>
    <span>missed</span>
  </em>
  <span> you so fucking much.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He loosened his grip on her and she slid down until they were face to face. She took in his now red and puffy eyes as she reached out to gently stroke his cheek.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He closed his eyes as he sighed. “Are you just here out of pity Hermione? All this time I thought that you </span>
  <em>
    <span>hated</span>
  </em>
  <span> me and now I wonder if that was true and-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I could </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>hate you Ron! I was just upset, and I thought that you hated </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” she cried.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He opened his eyes to look at her. “Hermione </span>
  <em>
    <span>please</span>
  </em>
  <span> promise me that we won't stop talking ever again. I can't</span>
  <em>
    <span> do</span>
  </em>
  <span> it anymore, you have no idea what it’s been like for me without you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded her head. “I promise. I hated it so much. Despite being constantly surrounded by other people, I’ve never been more lonely in my life. I need you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He leaned up a bit and planted a kiss on her forehead before pulling her down into his chest as she snuggled into him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This</span>
  </em>
  <span> was something that she had desperately been missing. This feeling of safety, of contentment, the feeling of knowing that Ron would be there for her throughout everything. She knew that she was there for </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> this time though, and she vowed that she would do whatever he needed her to do. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ron, how did you find me? Who gave you the number to my room?” she asked, looking up at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I called the school. They told me no at first but I supposed they took pity on me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You shouldn't have had to do that Ron. I should have reached out to you a long time ago,” she said regretfully. “I’m sorry that I left you alone in that motel room when I should’ve-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shook his head at her. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Stop</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hermione. I don't want to talk about it. Everything-everything that happened between us-let’s just forget it okay? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nothing</span>
  </em>
  <span> is worth losing you over, I know that now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” she agreed, nuzzling back into him as he pulled her even closer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They laid there for several hours, both of them drifting in and out of sleep, their bodies close together as they shifted, taking turns holding one another. It was as if they were making up for the months they had missed, and neither one of them seemed to be willing to let the other go for even a second. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Although there were several kisses exchanged, they were on foreheads, hands, noses, cheeks, but never lips. Although there were still tears, Ron had been mostly calm since the initial breakdown that he had shown earlier and very little words were said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bill’s wife, Fleur, ended up bringing lunch upstairs for them, and Ron asked her if they had found George yet. Fleur told him that they had, and that Charlie was with him at his flat. Hermione could see some of the tension come out of Ron’s body as his shoulders deflated in relief.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The weekend, and then the rest of the week flew by. When Hermione wasn't upstairs with Ron, she was helping out around the house. She helped with the cleaning, with the meals, anything that she could do to help she did it. Ron mainly stayed up in his room, but eventually he tended to go with her wherever she went, his eyes following her as if he were afraid to let her out of his sight. He had been looking at her as if he were in disbelief that she was there, and she made sure to repeatedly tell him that even when she did leave, they would keep in close contact, that it would never go back to the way it had been before.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The funeral took place four days after she had arrived, and she and Ron did not let go of each other's hands the entire day. He had wanted to go home right after the service, and she had gone with him. They ended up laying in bed and she held him as he really cried for the first time since that day that she had gotten there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On her fifth night there, they were laying in the dark, and Hermione’s hands were running through Ron’s wet hair after she had made him take a late night shower.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When will you go back to school?” he asked quietly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I told all of my professors I would be gone for a week, but if you need me longer, then I can stay longer.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Won’t you have a shit-ton of work to catch up on if you do that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes...but I’ll manage.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shook his head. “I’m not going to be selfish and ask you to stay any longer than you need to. You have a life to get back to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unable to say anything she nodded, shimmying her body down so he could hold her in his arms. Despite the tragic event that had brought her back, being here with him just felt so </span>
  <em>
    <span>right.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She was still in love with him, possibly even</span>
  <em>
    <span> more </span>
  </em>
  <span>so now that she had had a glimpse of a life without him, and the thought of leaving him again terrified her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hermione,” he said hesitantly, his voice deep and gravely.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” she asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry-for that night.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione felt her breath hitch, thinking that he meant the wonderful night that they had shared together.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron must have realized what she had been thinking. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Shite</span>
  </em>
  <span>-no! I meant-that night-that night with Lavender-” he stuttered and she instantly felt relieved.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Yeah…” she said, not knowing what to say.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was immature, and yeah, as you said, I was being disgusting.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry that I cut the rope,” she said quietly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She felt him take a deep breath. “I reckon after what I did, I deserved it. But, I’m not going to lie, when I saw what you had done I-I’ve never felt more </span>
  <em>
    <span>awful</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I thought that was </span>
  <em>
    <span>it</span>
  </em>
  <span>, that we would never talk again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“At the time, I think I sort of thought that we wouldn't.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“D’you think we would’ve? If Fred hadn't-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded her head. “Yes, I do. I think we would have. Apparently we were both miserable and-we </span>
  <em>
    <span>need</span>
  </em>
  <span> each other, Ron. I see that now. We would have realized that eventually.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He ran his fingers up and down her back, and then together, they drifted off to sleep.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Exactly eight days after she had pulled up to the Weasley’s house, she was leaving it once again. After breakfast, and a bunch of goodbyes to all of his various family members, she and Ron walked outside to stand next to her car. Ron’s hands were jammed in his pockets and his face was pale and grim.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for coming,” he said quietly, looking down at the pavement. “I don't know how I would have gone through all of that without you-hell, I don't know how I’m going to manage now that you're leaving again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wish I could stay with you Ron, If there was a way that-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shhh,” he cut her off, his hand coming out to cup her cheek. “I already know, you don't have to explain.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded, biting her bottom lip to keep from crying.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Call me every day?” he asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Every day,” she confirmed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They stepped into each other then, both sighing in relief at the familiar and comforting contact. Finally they pulled away, and she could tell by his face that he was extremely upset but trying to keep it together for her benefit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll come back soon Ron, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>promise.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded and leaned forward, his lips pressed and lingering on the top of her head as he squeezed her one last time before letting her go. She gave him one last small smile that he didn't return before she climbed into her car and drove away, her heart breaking for a second time as she rounded the corner.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Hello all! I’ve been on a bit of a dry spell with writing and been doing more reading instead. I am super excited to finish this fic though because I just love it so much and hope you enjoy this chapter! (don't worry, no sadness today ;)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>O</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I know that we talk pretty frequently on the phone, but I really miss writing notes to you (call me nostalgic) so I decided to send you a letter. You don't have to write back if you don't want to, it's up to you (but I might just cry if you don't) I'm not even going to tell you that I'm writing to you, I'm just going to let it be a surprise (I'm actually sniggering right now imagining the look that you will probably have on your face when you receive this- just like old times right?)</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span> I really bloody miss you living right next door to me Hermione. There is a family with two small kids living in your old house and they seem nice enough  but- I would obviously much rather it be you. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>'Blah-blah Ron' you're probably thinking. ‘This is just what happens- people grow up, move away- you can't expect everything to stay the same way forever- that's illogical!' Well honestly logic can kiss my ass because I miss you!!! I know I'm rambling, but it's the middle of the night and I just can't sleep (honestly I haven't slept well since you've left) so my brain is just-I don't even know. I have all of these thoughts swirling around and confusing me, and upsetting me- like I said, I just don't know.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I know I only saw you three weeks ago, but it feels like forever. We went so long without talking to each other Hermione (and I never ever want to do that again) but now that we are talking, it's like I wait around all bloody day until I can talk to you on the phone (it's pretty ridiculous actually) </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Life is just starting to return to normal around here I suppose. Mum is cooking again, and even though she cries while she's doing it, it's an improvement. Simon (my boss) has lessened my hours by my request so I haven't been working much. Although I don't like not having that extra cash, I feel that Mum needs me here to help out more, so that's what I've been doing. (I know that I've told you all of this on the phone-but I'm writing everything that's coming to my mind so humor me here) </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Even though a large part of me is happy to pick up slack wherever it is needed, it’s also a bit frustrating at times. I'm nineteen years old! I want to move out and get away, spread my wings you know? But just the thought of doing so makes me feel guilty and I just- I don't even know what to think right now about anything honestly- it’s probably much too soon to think about anything serious like that though- I know things are just going to be chaotic for a while (like my brain-ha)</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Losing Fred has been- it's been a lot as you know. I never understood just how much things change when someone close to you dies unexpectedly, it's way more than I could have ever realized. There's the loss of them of course- but there's also the loss of an entire future with them...for them. It leaves you to constantly think of everything that 'could have been' even though you know that you shouldn't because those thoughts are just so damn painful. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s seeing some of the light in my parents eyes go out, probably never to be there again. As awful as it is for me to lose my brother, I know it’s way worse for my parents and that's another reason for me to grieve. Shite- okay I’m stopping. I don't want to drag you down and I don't want to think about it either.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll end the letter with this. I am so happy that we are friends again Hermione Jean Granger...you have no idea. I hate that it took losing Fred to bring us back together, but to have you back….you have no idea what that means to me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ron</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>O</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ron</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Your letter was most definitely unexpected, but I can't lie, when I saw my name written in your annoyingly sloppy handwriting, it made me smile. It brought back many memories of you annoying me at all hours of the day/night for all those years, so thank you. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I also find it odd that there is another family that is living in my old home, things surely have changed. I, of course miss you too and I’m a bit offended that you would think that I would chastise you for missing me or missing the way that things were before-because I feel the same as you do, trust me! I’m just so thankful for you and your friendship Ron, and I never want to take you for granted again. I must admit, that after my long days of classes, I quite look forward to our phone calls as well and they really do help me unwind and relax but I suppose you've always had that effect on me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>As you know, school is going well, although I must be the most boring university student that has ever lived because I do nothing else besides schoolwork. At least when you lived next door to me, you forced me to get out sometimes. And even when you didn't force me out, I had you there to entertain me and make things much less dull. You are the fun in my life Ron Weasley-never forget it! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I can't imagine how things are there for you and your family Ron. I wish so much that I was there with you to do whatever I could to help, even though I know there’s not much that I could do. I'm glad that your mum is cooking again and I'm sure that means that things are heading in the right direction even though I’m sure progress will be slow and come and go in waves. I know that things will of course never be normal for you or your family ever again (how could it?) but the fact that there is somewhat a sense of returning normalcy is a good thing. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I know that you are at a point in your life where you feel the need to do something else, to be somewhere else...I get it. However, I do agree that your mum probably needs you right now as well. You are so amazing Ron- you really are! You are so caring, and wonderful, and your heart is so much bigger than I even think you realize. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>As far as everything else goes, I wish there was more that I could say, but I have no advice or experience. I just wish like mad that I could hold you...that we could hold each other. I always feel most content when I'm with you and I hate being away...especially right now. Honestly when I got back here after leaving you, my motivation level was zero (I know you will find that impossible- but it's true) I had to force myself to start all of my makeup work and just get it done, but thankfully I managed and am right back on track. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>In case you weren't aware, I miss you too-so much. Once this semester ends and I get a short break, I will be there, I promise. I am also so very happy to have you back in my life and it feels like I can breathe again.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>O</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It was so hard not to tell you on the phone earlier, but I wanted to write it instead, even if it takes a little longer to share my news with you. You know that I of course love our phone conversations and hearing your voice always brightens my day, but there is something decidedly special about exchanging letters with you so I wanted to tell you this way. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>George has recently asked me to partner with him to help run the joke shop and I am going to do it! Business has been flourishing and George cannot handle it alone (especially as he is still not even 100% 'there' yet, if you know what I mean)</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>When he asked me I felt a lot of things- I felt guilty knowing that I would just be a replacement for Fred (but that is the reality of it) I felt surprised that he asked me before he asked anyone else-flattered really. I felt scared- I mean, I don't exactly have my future mapped out already (I'm no Hermione Granger) but I feel that if I accept his offer, it will be pretty permanent (at least several years permanent) and I have never committed myself to doing anything for that long so it’s a bit daunting. I know that I will be making a pretty decent living because as I said before, business has never been better, but I'm still a bit nervous (still more excited than anything else though, don't worry) </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Another big change would be that George has asked me to move in with him into the flat above the shop which I also accepted. Although I am still hesitant to leave mum, Ginny and I had a really long talk about everything and she's assured me that she would take care of mum. She doesn't want me to 'hold myself back' trying to do the right thing. She pointed out that I don't do anything except work and then come home and do chores or whatever it is that I can do to make mum’s life easier. My room has never been cleaner Hermione, but I don't even think that she notices. Gin actually called me ‘bloody honorable’ and that surprised me a bit- I don't feel honorable- I just want to help my family you know? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I need to stop with the sad shite though, I want these letters to be happy for you, not sad. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I miss you tons. I know I've said it already, but honestly you're like a missing limb or something. Whenever you're not here-it's like I can't fully be myself or something- life is just slow and boring. I know that I'm not making much sense, but I honestly don't know another way to describe it. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay. That's enough rambling for now. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ron</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>O</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ron</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I wish that I could say that it's absolutely lovely to be back here at school and that I’m thoroughly excited to be starting this new semester, but it isn't and I’m not. I really enjoyed spending time with you and hate that it was only for five days. I think that you will be happy in your new flat with George and I was glad to help you move in and could tell that you were glad to be starting this new chapter of your life. Although we didn't get a ton of visiting time, I felt good about how productive we were and how much we got done (even if you complained a bit too much ;)</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I was happy to see that George was back to taking the mickey out of me like old times, it was good to see him laugh...it was good to see you laugh as well. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This might seem-I don't know- corny or something, but that night that we fell asleep on the couch watching that awful comedy film that you insisted that we watch (it obviously wasn't as funny as you thought it would be, because we both fell asleep during it) Well I woke up somewhere near the ending of the credits, and I just ended up watching you. (I know this sounds creepy but let me explain)</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You looked so- I don't know- peaceful and it made me almost want to cry. To me you looked like the same boy who used his airsoft gun on my window- full of life and just...no worries. I did wake you then to go to bed, and when I was alone on the pullout bed, I was lonely. You really are so special to me Ron, and I hope you know that. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I can't wait until next time that I see you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>O</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione Jean Granger!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I cannot believe how much chocolate that I received in the mail this morning! You are surely going to make me feel sick (not that you don't always make me feel sick but….okay okay, I'm joking! Calm down!) I would tell you that I had the best birthday ever- but that would be a lie. Even though I really (really) enjoyed the chocolates, I was sad because you weren't here to celebrate it with me and it just would have meant more if you would have been here. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Well anyway, I'm twenty now! No longer a teenager so that's cool I guess. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh wait- I do have some juicy news!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Harry came down a few weekends ago to visit me, and Ginny happened to pop by and-you wouldn't even believe it if I told you. It was like one of those melodramatic romantic movies that you like, they saw each other and that was it. She was only there to pick up something from George, but she ended up staying all day and most of the night. They were giving each other these lovesick puppy dog looks and I wanted to vomit-it was pretty disgusting. Well now he's planning on moving down here somewhere! (he swears it's just because he likes the area, but I told him that I wasn't a fucking idiot and that I knew what he was playing at. His face turned beetroot, it was hilarious) </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So yeah, I guess they’re together now. I don't mind it though, not really. Harry's a great bloke, and I reckon that he will be good for Gin, but they better not snog in front of me- that's all that I ask.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Nothing else to say. Just miss you- but that's nothing new.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ron</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>O</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ron</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Almost another semester gone! I am that much closer and so excited to just have a couple of months off. You already know that I plan to spend most of the summer with my parents (I am excited and a bit scared to be out in the open water- I have seen Titanic!)  but I also want to see you as much as I possibly can once I hit dry land again! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I know that you are busy at work- sometimes when we are on the phone, I can tell from the sound of your voice just how exhausted you really are. I know that you have assured me many times that you are very happy with your job, and that you enjoy it even more than you thought that you would, but I still worry that you are working yourself too hard (strange turn of events when I'm worried about you working too hard isn't it?)  </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I really am proud of you Ron, in case you didn't know it, I just have to tell you that. I'm sorry that this is such a short letter- I'm swamped with studying for all of these exams. When it's over though, I plan to give you the world's biggest hug and I can't wait!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>O</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I am glad that this semester is almost done, and you will have a whole summer off to just relax and do what you want to. Although I am glad that you will get to spend a lot of time with your parents, I am also burning with jealousy that they will see you more than I will get to. I am also insanely jealous of you getting to go on a friggin cruise! I mean, unlimited food??? It sounds like the best thing in the entire world! I expect detailed letters about all of the foods and pudding that you eat, they will certainly fuel me at my quiet and lonely flat. Just remember that it is a cruise ship, not the Titanic. You are not Rose, so don't go looking for your Jack while on vacation (he dies- so I assure you that any boat romances will not end well-just fyi)</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The fact that you said that you are proud of me quite frankly took me by surprise, but in the best of ways of course! I know that I work hard, and admittedly I make decent money, but I don't do anything glamorous or extinguished-nothing like you are sure to do one day. I guess it doesn't matter though, as long as you are proud of me, that's enough to make me feel accomplished in life so thank you! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Well, I do have to get to bed. I am knackered. Can't wait to see you-whenever that may be- but hopefully sooner rather than later.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ron</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>O</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ron </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I can't believe how fast this summer has passed-it's unbelievable! (and not the good kind of unbelievable either) I didn't get to see you near as much as I wanted to and that’s upsetting. Even when I did see you, I could tell just how exhausted you were and I have to admit that I’m worried about you. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You always put on a happy face for me, but I know the difference and I could tell that you weren't as happy as you let on so I wonder if there is anything else going on? I thought several times about bringing it up while I was there, but I didn't want to make you feel bad or make you feel as if you are obligated to tell me every little detail about your life so I didnt. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It's just that-well, you seemed sadder than normal and I'm concerned. It was a different kind of sad that I've seen in you before. I could tell that it had nothing to do with Fred and that it was something else entirely. I don't want to press you, but I decided to let you know that as your best friend, I know that something is up, so if you wanted to confide in me, then I am always here for you. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>O</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The summer did indeed pass faster than I had anticipated- it was as if I blinked and it was over. Don't get me wrong, I was over the moon to see you those times that I did- I just wish that I hadn't been so bloody exhausted when you were here.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span> I actually have some news about that though. I talked George into hiring someone else to help out around here. It will surely take some weight off of my shoulders. We hired a girl named Verity, she's very nice and she means business. I am sure that she will get done whatever needs to get done-thank Merlin!!!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>As far as me being 'sad' don't worry about it Hermione-I'm fine. I don't know how you manage to catch on to every little bloody thing and it shouldn't surprise me, but it still does. Most of it really was just me being overworked, honestly. I won't deny that there are some other things that have been bothering me lately, but they aren't exactly new things so I know how to handle them. I won’t bore you with my insignificant problems- just focus on you, and your school, and come see me any chance you get please.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Until the next letter, I miss you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ron </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>O</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ron</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You just left only a few hours ago! I know I told you several times, but it was such a surprise when you just showed up at my door out of nowhere to tell me that you were here for the weekend! It really was just what I needed. I can’t believe that I am twenty one now and I think I feel like a proper adult finally! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You really did show me a great time! I can't recall a more fun weekend so thank you so much! The only thing that came close was my birthday where you took me to the theme park and then the beach. That day was so perfect! (well except the part when I got knocked out by Harry’s beach umbrella- but we found Harry so I guess I can't complain too much) I know that I've lived here for a long while, but I've never really been out and about while here and the fact that you took me to all these new places when I have been living right next to them for so long was a bit embarrassing I have to admit.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span> I can't even believe how shameless my roommate was when she was flirting with you like that! I suspect that she just wanted a rebound fling after her recent breakup, but thank you for not taking her up on her repeated offers- that would have made things pretty awkward for me. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Anyway, I have a surprise myself. I talked to my mum and dad on the phone right after you left. I know that I missed last Christmas with you (it was the first one without Fred and I’m sorry) but I plan on making it up to you! I plan to be with you for all of the holiday this year. We haven't spent more than a week together since- well I can't even remember when, and I really just want to enjoy a wonderful Weasley Christmas with you and your family (but mainly you of course) That's if you want me to.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay well it's bedtime for me. Can't wait to hear from you!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>O</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>o</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Bloody hell of course I want you here for Christmas! When I read that I swear I almost jumped up and down like a giddy five year old! Two weeks with you?! Sounds fucking incredible and I cant wait! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I enjoyed the weekend as well of course, it was a lot of fun. You really weren't lying when you told me that you don't get out much! As for your roommate, of course I wouldn't do that to you Hermione. I wasn't even the slightest bit interested either I’ll have you know.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I went and toured apartments earlier today and will be moving out soon. Ever since Angelina (George’s new girlfriend) moved into the flat, I can tell that George wants his privacy even if he’s too nice to say so. I could tell that he was relieved when I told him of my plans, so that urged me on even more to look for someplace to move to.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So it looks as if I will be moving in a few weeks before Christmas so it’s perfect timing. I even have an extra bedroom that you will be able to have to yourself when you're there! Blimey Hermione I’m so excited but now I’m going to be miserable and impatiently waiting until then.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ron</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As you can tell, I extended this story yet <em>another</em> chapter. There's just too much that needs to happen before I wrap it all up!</p><p>Enjoy and remember to always be kind :)</p><p> </p><p>o</p><p>O</p><p>o</p><p> </p><p>Hermione eagerly knocked on Ron’s apartment door and shifted from foot to foot in anticipation. She had shown up several hours before she had said that she was going to and she was excited to surprise him. The door flew open so fast that she almost screamed in surprise, only to reveal Ron staring at her from inside, his eyes wide and incredulous.</p><p> </p><p>“I was able to get away a few hours earlier than I tho-”</p><p> </p><p>She was cut off as Ron lunged for her, gripping her upper body to his as he lifted her up off of the floor and pulled her into the apartment as he kicked the door shut. She was too surprised to say anything, but even if she could, she didn't think that she would interrupt him as she almost melted at the feeling of his warm body against hers as he spun her around once before stopping.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sure that she can walk just fine Ron,” Hermione heard a voice say from behind them and she turned her attention from Ron to find that Harry and Ginny were both there and sitting on a small loveseat, smirking at the pair of them.</p><p> </p><p>Rom put her down and she stepped back, straightening her hair and furiously blushing as if they had just been caught being improper. Ron however, didn't seem embarrassed at all as he beamed at her before reaching out and taking her hand in his. Harry and Ginny both got up to greet her and give her a hug before returning to their previous spot to sit back down; their bodies close and their hands intertwined.</p><p> </p><p>“Missed you,” Ron said softly in her ear before leading her to the couch where they sat down across from Harry and Ginny. </p><p> </p><p>She squeezed his hand to wordlessly tell him that she felt the same before turning her attention to the couple.</p><p> </p><p>“So, you two look happy,” she exclaimed, smiling at them.</p><p> </p><p>“We are!” Harry replied as Ginny shook her head enthusiastically in agreement.</p><p> </p><p>“When you know, you <em> know </em>,” she added, looking at Harry in a way that Hermione had never seen the younger girl look at any of her previous boyfriends.</p><p> </p><p>Hermione felt a pang in her chest. It was <em> true, </em> when you knew, you knew. Unfortunately she was almost positive that her love for Ron was unrequited so she had had to force it as far down as possible all of the time in order for her to remain sane.</p><p> </p><p>“Disgusting innit?” she heard Ron’s deep voice rumble from behind her, causing her to turn around and glare at him.</p><p> </p><p>“It is <em> not </em>! It’s wonderful!” she said, looking back at her two friends.</p><p> </p><p>“Harry’s also coming to the Weasley Christmas celebration!” Ginny said excitedly. “He’s going to meet the whole family!” she gushed as Harry smiled a bit nervously.</p><p> </p><p>They sat and talked together for a bit before Harry and Ginny decided that it was time to go. Once Ron and Hermione said their goodbye’s they ordered a pizza for dinner and sat on the couch to watch a horror film. Hermione could sense Ron’s eyes on her off and on throughout the film, and when she would turn to catch him, he would give her a sheepish grin before returning his eyes to the television.</p><p> </p><p>o</p><p>O</p><p>o</p><p> </p><p>It was still five days until Christmas eve, and unfortunately Ron had to work every single day leading up to it as the shop was extremely busy at that time of the year. Hermione didn't mind much though, she would bring several books and sit in the back and read while Ron worked. At times she would walk into the store to watch him work his magic there. He was so engaging towards all of the customers, and happily helped them out with whatever they needed, never looking annoyed or bothered when he did so. </p><p> </p><p>She also enjoyed the view of him moving around in his uniform, his work slacks hugging his lower body in a very <em> comfortable </em>way in both the front and back, making her gulp when she would secretly steal glances. She also enjoyed seeing the way that his muscles flexed when he would reach up to grab stuff from the higher shelves when the shorter customers couldn't reach. She knew that she was being ridiculous, but she was so insanely attracted to him that it couldn't be helped as she ogled him like a schoolgirl who had a crush.</p><p> </p><p>She had a feeling that he enjoyed when she would come out and watch him on the floor though. She could tell that he was practically showing off as he would glance at her while he was busy to give her one of his wide grins, making her grin right back at him, unable not to do so.</p><p> </p><p>At the end of every day, they would head back to his apartment after he closed the shop. Sometimes Harry and Ginny would stop by, or even another member of the Weasley family, and she was always happy to see everyone. Her and Ron would either cook an easy dinner together, or they would go out, depending on what they felt like. Things were just so easy between them now, and she was always happiest when he was around. They were still very loving towards each other, but without it being in a romantic sense. They had always been affectionate with each other though, and to them it was just normal.</p><p> </p><p>Just as they had done since they had started talking again after their big fight, the topic of the night that they had shared at the motel wasn't mentioned or even alluded to at all. It still stung Hermione to remember just how close she had once been to what she had really wanted, but was now pretty sure that she could never have. She had a feeling that neither her or Ron wanted to bring it up due to fear, as if doing so would crumble everything that they had built on top of it afterwards.</p><p> </p><p>While he used to be fairly flirtatious with her when they were teenagers, he wasn't so much any more. She figured that a lot of that was due to him growing up a lot, because he certainly had. Losing Fred had matured him pretty quickly and he had changed in a lot of different ways after the loss. He was more kind, he took care of himself, he was a hard worker, and slower to anger than he previously had been. </p><p> </p><p>Another reason she figured he was less flirtatious was because of what had happened between them. She thought that he probably didn't want to give her any mixed feelings or confuse her, which she understood. He was honest with her about how he felt or how much she meant to him, but it was in a way that was different than it had been before. As far as she saw, he had never been more caring or concerned about her; even if he had to do it from far away the majority of the time. He was so grown up and there was just an air about him now that drove her insane with how amazing that he was and how much she still wanted him, even when she tried her hardest not to.</p><p> </p><p>o</p><p>O</p><p>o</p><p> </p><p>It was the night before Christmas eve, and she and Ron were sitting opposite of eachother on the hardwood floor of his apartment, a 300 piece jigsaw puzzle spread out between them as they worked on it together. Ron had a beer and she had a glass of wine ‘in celebration’ of Ron not having to work for the next three days.</p><p> </p><p>Hermione was putting the puzzle together much faster than Ron, and she made a remark to him about it.</p><p> </p><p>“Oi!” he said. “S’not my fault that my fingers are so much bigger than yours! They are making it super hard to do this!”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione giggled, feeling the effects of the wine after two full glasses. “That’s just an excuse!”</p><p> </p><p>He shook his head. “No it’s not! I’m dead serious Hermione, it makes it harder!”</p><p> </p><p>“Let me see?” she asked, looking up at him. </p><p> </p><p>He put his hand in the air in front of him, spreading his long fingers apart to show her. Her hand slowly reached up and flattened against his as she took in the size difference. Smiling, he then curled the top of his fingers over hers, further insenduading how much bigger his hand was.</p><p> </p><p>“You're so...<em> big </em>,” she remarked, feeling dazed as she stared.</p><p> </p><p>“So I’ve been told,” he replied, and when her eyes went from their hands to his face, she saw that he was smirking in that flirtatious joking manner that now only came about from him every small once in a while.</p><p> </p><p>She gave him a small smile before dropping her hand from his as she sighed. “You know, you don't joke around a lot anymore Ron,” she said thoughtfully.</p><p> </p><p>The smile fell from his face. “I guess I’m just-well I have responsibilities and stuff now.” He paused, his voice taking on a more serious tone. “Honestly, sometimes I even feel guilty for joking around when- when Fred will <em> never </em> joke again,” he said, a flash of pain running across his features.</p><p> </p><p>She quickly leaned forward, taking his face in her hands. “You know that Fred would kick your arse for thinking like that don't you?” she said.</p><p> </p><p>He gave her a small smile, “Yeah, I know.”</p><p> </p><p>Able to sense that he didn't want to talk about Fred any longer, she dropped her hands and leaned back as Ron did the same, his attention now back on the puzzle while she stared at him. </p><p> </p><p>“Let’s play a game!” she said giddily as he looked up to her, his eyebrows raised.</p><p> </p><p>“Drunk questions,” she responded, as if the answer were already obvious.</p><p> </p><p>He gave her a small smile. “Hermione, you do know we aren't drunk right?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m tipsy though, so that counts.”</p><p> </p><p>He smiled. “Yeah well<em> I’m </em> barely buzzed.”</p><p> </p><p>She waved her hand dismissively. “<em> Details </em> Ronald! Okay, then let’s just call the game ‘questions’ since you're going to be so <em> particular </em>about it.”</p><p> </p><p>He stared hard at her, looking hesitant to say yes, but he ended up giving her a nod. She clapped her hands in excitement and he shook his head a bit as he let out a small chuckle.</p><p> </p><p>He took a long sip of beer. “So are there any ground rules for this game?” he asked </p><p> </p><p>“We are adults, we don't <em> need </em> any rules,” she said, smiling at him mischievously.</p><p> </p><p>“Fine. I call first then,” he told her. He sat up straighter and pursed his lips as he stared at her, obviously trying to figure out what to ask first.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay. Hermione, if you could choose to be <em> any </em> animal, what would you be?” he finally asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Probably an otter,” she replied. “They're cute, they swim well, and they don't <em> ever </em> go high into the air.”</p><p> </p><p>“Seems like you've put a lot of thought into that scenario,” he laughed.</p><p> </p><p>“I have,” she replied snootily.”Now...what to ask <em> you </em>?” she said slowly. “Hmmm. Ronald? Have you ever thought about dyeing your hair?”</p><p> </p><p>He laughed. “Do you not<em> like </em> my ginger hair Hermione?” he teased.</p><p> </p><p>“No! Of course I like it! I don't want you to change at all! I was just wondering if <em> you </em> had ever wanted to.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well-” he shifted. “It wouldn't make much sense would it? My face would still spout ginger stubble every day, and my eyelashes are already a dead giveaway- not to mention that I’m ginger everywhere <em> else </em> so I would literally have to dye <em> all </em> of my body hair and that wouldn't make much sense. I’m sure the upkeep would be <em> hell </em>as well- so no, I have never thought about it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good, don’t!” she told him as she tried not to get flustered at the words he had said about him being ginger <em> everywhere </em>-even though she, of course, already knew that.</p><p> </p><p>Ron took a deep breath. “Do you-do you <em> fancy </em> anyone?” he asked her, his voice a bit quieter than it had been a few moments ago.</p><p> </p><p>She thought about what to say. Her first instinct would be to say yes, because she <em> did </em> fancy someone; <em> him </em> . But then she <em> actually </em> thought about the question. What she felt for him went way beyond <em> just </em> fancying- she was in <em> love </em> with him-but obviously she wasn't going to just blurt out <em> that </em> particular truth just then so she shook her head. “No, I don't fancy anyone.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm,” he hummed, but didn't say anything else.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you jealous of Harry and Ginny?” The question had just flown from her mouth before she had even realized that it was there.</p><p> </p><p>He looked surprised by the question. “Jealous in what <em> way </em> ,” he laughed. “Because if you’re asking me if I’m <em> jealous </em> that Ginny is snogging Harry because <em> I </em> want to snog him, then the answer would emphatically be <em> no </em>.”</p><p> </p><p>She laughed heartily, “No Ron, you know what I mean!”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, well- I mean, overall I’m just really happy for them y’know? I’m glad that they found each other,” he finished, not quite answering her original question. “Are <em> you </em> jealous of them?” he threw the question right back to her.</p><p> </p><p>“A bit,” she said honestly. “I think that it would be nice to have someone love me<em> that </em>much-in that way you know? The way that they look at each other is...but of course I’m happy for them as well.”</p><p> </p><p>Ron took another sip of his beer, avoiding her eyes. “Yeah,” he grunted. </p><p> </p><p>“Who gets more female attention when you’re working at the shop? You or George?”</p><p> </p><p>He grinned. “It’s actually pretty much a tie- <em> surprisingly. </em>”</p><p> </p><p>“That <em> is </em> a surprise! I would have bet money that the answer would be George,” she teased.</p><p> </p><p>He pointed his finger at her. “Watch it! I can still return my Christmas gift!” he threatened as she laughed.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay okay! I’m sorry!” she said as he smiled and took another long sip of beer.</p><p> </p><p>“So, how many people have you shagged?” he asked then, the words coming out fast as if he had forced himself to ask.</p><p> </p><p>She froze. She didn't want to <em> lie </em> , but she didn't want him to know that she had <em> only </em>shagged him, because she was sure that he’d probably feel guilty or something about that fact. She took a long sip of her wine. “As many as I wanted to,” she replied, impressing herself for her quick thinking.</p><p> </p><p>He held his hands up. “Fine. I won't press.”</p><p> </p><p>“How many people have <em> you </em> shagged?” she asked, raising her eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>He grimaced. “<em> Some </em>…”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh come on Ron! Give me a ballpark number. Fifty? One hundred?”</p><p> </p><p>His eyes widened. “Bloody <em> hell </em> Hermione! What do you think I <em> am, </em>a sex machine?” he shook his head. “My number is somewhere in the ‘teen’ area if you must know.”</p><p> </p><p>She opened her mouth to say something, when he cut her off “<em> My </em> turn remember?” he said before pausing. “Are you <em> happy </em>?” he asked seriously.</p><p> </p><p>“I think...I mean for the most part I <em> am </em>,” she said slowly, leaning a bit further towards him.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah?” he asked quietly, his gaze intense as he stared at her. “Exactly <em> what </em> part of you is unhappy Hermione?”</p><p> </p><p>She shook her head at him. “<em> My </em>turn, remember?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, right,” he said as she leaned just a little bit further towards him.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you...do you ever think about that <em> night </em>?” she asked quietly, her voice barely over a whisper.</p><p> </p><p>She watched as Ron gulped. “What night?” he asked, even though it was clear from his expression that he knew exactly what night she meant.</p><p> </p><p>“You already know,” she replied, her teeth biting her bottom lip nervously. </p><p> </p><p>He looked down at the ground again. “Yeah,” he whispered. “Yeah, I do.”</p><p> </p><p>She felt like she could burst into happy tears right then and there. <em> He did </em> think about it! About <em> her! </em> To what extent that was, she didn't know, but it was <em> something! </em></p><p> </p><p>“Ron?” she asked hesitantly as his eyebrows lifted up questionably as he looked back at her.</p><p> </p><p>“Can I ask you something else even though it’s not technically my turn?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sure,” he said, his expression sincere.</p><p> </p><p>“In the letters-when we were talking about you-and how I <em> knew </em> that you were a bit off and then you confirmed it...what <em> exactly </em> was going on?”</p><p> </p><p>She could tell by his face that he wasn't too happy about her question. He again looked down at the puzzle, his face concentrated. “You're not going to drop it if I don't answer are you?” he asked quietly.</p><p> </p><p>She shook her head. “I wish that I could, but no, I can't.”</p><p> </p><p>He sighed and didn't speak for a long moment. “I was seeing someone,” he finally said, still not looking at her..</p><p> </p><p>Out of all of the things that she was expecting him to say, this was <em> definitely </em> not one of them. She was surprised at how upset this revelation made her feel. She was <em> hurt </em> and she felt angry at him. She also felt jealousy towards this unknown girl, and then slight relief at the word ‘was’. How serious had this ‘thing’ even been? And why had it ended? How come he hadn't told her about it? And <em> why </em> would Ron, the person who ‘never wanted to be tied down with anybody else’ even <em> be </em> in a relationship in the first place?</p><p> </p><p>She took a long sip of her wine. “So I’m assuming that it <em> wasn't </em> all sunshine and rainbows and love? Considering that she made you seem so <em> sad </em>along with the fact that it is not ongoing?” she asked, a little more sharply than she had intended.</p><p> </p><p>He shook his head, still not looking at her. “No. She was- she was great actually-perfect.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermione held herself back from jumping up and screaming in frustration that he had called this girl ‘perfect’. “Then I don't see the problem Ron,” she said flatly.</p><p> </p><p>He looked at her then, as he sat up straight. “She wasn't- well, I guess that I couldn't <em> force </em> myself to have feelings for someone if I just <em> didn't </em>y’know? So I ended it.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em> Feelings </em> ? Why would <em> you </em> want to have feelings for anyone?”</p><p> </p><p>He gave her a strange look before opening his mouth to speak. “Stop,” she held up her hand. “I’m sorry Ron. I think the wine has just gone to my head.” She sighed, willing herself to calm down so she could learn more. “So how long did it <em> last </em> ? And more importantly, why didn't you <em> tell </em> me?”</p><p> </p><p>He shrugged sheepishly. “It lasted a little over a month. We were taking it slow because I wanted to do things <em> right </em> . We weren't even shagging or anything, it was just dates and getting to know each other-that sort of thing,” he said as his cheeks and ears turned a pale pink. “I didn't want to tell you unless it turned into something <em> real </em> I guess...but it didn't, so…” he trailed off.</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm,” she hummed, her fingers now sorting through the small puzzle pieces, even as her eyes didn't see them at all. “So she was your girlfriend?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, kind of- I guess.”</p><p> </p><p>“You've never had one of<em> those </em> before,” she remarked.</p><p> </p><p>“No, I haven't,” he agreed. “I suppose I had to try it out once and see if it was worth the hype,” he said casually.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Once </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“I’m tired,” she said suddenly.  </p><p> </p><p>“What about the game? Or the puzzle?” he asked, looking confused.</p><p> </p><p>“Tomorrow,” she replied, already walking away. “I want to just take a bath and get into bed.”</p><p> </p><p>She heard him jump up and start following her. “Hermione, why are you being testy?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m <em> not </em>,” she said, her back to him as she opened the linen closet door and grabbed a towel.</p><p> </p><p>When she turned around she gasped because she was now only half a foot from his chest as he looked down at her, concerned.</p><p> </p><p>“Excuse me,” she snapped, and he immediately moved to the side to let her pass.</p><p> </p><p>“Is this because I didn't tell you about Meagan?” he called out from behind her. “I should have just been honest with you Hermione, but I didn't want to <em> bother </em> you with it,” he added.</p><p> </p><p>She paused, her hand wrapped around the bathroom door handle. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning around. “No. <em> I’m </em> sorry for getting upset Ron, I have no right. I’m not your boss and have no say on who you choose to tell the details about your life to.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well <em> blimey </em> ,” he said with a smile on his face as he took a few steps towards her. “All of this time, I thought you <em> were </em> my boss!” he smiled as he opened his arms a bit in a peace offering.</p><p> </p><p>She rolled her eyes, but stepped into his arms anyway as he squeezed her tight. “Don't be mad at me Hermione,” he mumbled into her hair and instantly, all of her anger was gone; although the jealousy and hurt still remained.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not,” she said honestly. “I just want you to trust me with the truth is all.” </p><p> </p><p>“I <em> do </em>,” he immediately said.</p><p> </p><p>She reluctantly pulled back. “I’m just going to relax and take a bath, tomorrow is going to wear me out, I already know it,” she said as she forced out a small laugh.</p><p> </p><p>He rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, the Weasley Christmas eve celebration is always hectic.”</p><p> </p><p>“And I love it,” she replied earnestly.</p><p> </p><p>He gave her a look then as if he thought she was the greatest person in the entire world and it almost quite literally took her breath away. He reached up with both of his hands, sweeping the hair away from her face. “Enjoy your bath,” he said quietly before leaning forward and kissing her on the forehead and then stepping away.</p><p> </p><p>She almost whimpered at the loss of his closeless, but she managed a small smile before turning around to walk into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. </p><p> </p><p>She was in her bath for only about ten minutes before she heard a knock. “Can I come in and brush my teeth?” she heard Ron ask from outside of the door. “I wont look.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s unlocked,” she said airily. The tub was filled to the brim with bubbles so she knew that he wouldn't be able to see anything, even if she didn't really mind it if he <em> did </em>happen to see her.</p><p> </p><p>He walked in and started brushing his teeth. Without turning around to look at her, he asked, “Having fun?” </p><p> </p><p>“Very much,” she replied, and she saw his reflection smile in the mirror.</p><p> </p><p>“Well good,” he said happily. “Do you need anything?”</p><p> </p><p>“I need you to shave my inch-long leg hairs for me,” she said in the most serious voice that she could muster.</p><p> </p><p>He turned his whole body and looked at her, his eyebrows raised up behind his fringe. “Bloody hell, that’s hot,” he smirked before they both burst into laughter.</p><p> </p><p>She raised one of her legs up over the bubbles. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I was joking.”</p><p> </p><p>He stared at her leg for a second before returning his eyes to her face. “Yeah yeah, now put your cute little leg back in the tub before it gets cold Hermione,” he teasingly chastised. “Want me to wash your hair?” he asked and she was quick to tell him yes.</p><p> </p><p>He first shampooed and then conditioned her hair, his fingers feeling like absolute magic on her scalp. On the second rinse, she leaned back a bit too much and she could feel her breasts come up out of the water and be exposed to the cold air before she quickly settled back. She wasn't sure if Ron had seen though, and he didn't say anything about it. A few moments later when he sat back on the ground, she looked at him and his face seemed a little flushed and she figured that he probably <em> had </em> seen.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, well I’m just going to go to bed now,” he said slowly as he gazed at her, his eyes dark.</p><p> </p><p>Her heart sped up, he was looking at her as if he <em> wanted </em> her. She could tell that he was trying to hide it though when he cleared his throat and looked down at the ground, his body tense.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow,” she told him. She could tell that he was uncomfortable and she didn't want to make things worse.</p><p> </p><p>He nodded, quickly getting up and making his way out, shutting the door behind him. With her heart pounding, she settled back down into the bubbles. From little tidbits that had happened that night, something that she hadn't felt in a long while pertaining to Ron Weasley was quickly coming up inside of her; <em> hope. </em> She didn't want to push her luck, but she was ready to try and get into his head and figure it out, even if she had to do it slowly. </p><p> </p><p>Feeling finished, she got out and used the bathroom before getting dressed in her pyjamas and brushing her teeth. When she finally walked out into the small hallway, the flat was dark and quiet. She started to head towards the extra bedroom that she had been staying in since she had arrived, but she paused before turning around and heading in the other direction-towards Ron’s room.</p><p> </p><p>His door was ajar a few inches and when she peeked in, she could see that he was already asleep. Slipping quietly into his room, she walked over to the bed and climbed in, scooting herself until her body was right up next to his. They had, of course, slept in the same bed before, but not since that week that he had lost Fred. Every time since though, they had slept separately, as there wasn't much of a solid reason why two <em> friends </em> should sleep together. Ron startled for a second as she woke him. Half asleep, he wrapped her in his arms and pulled her even closer to him. </p><p> </p><p>“Ermynee. I hoped you would come,” he mumbled, before once again falling asleep.</p><p> </p><p>Once again, she felt that hope flaring up inside of her, just waiting for the right moment to show itself to the man that was currently holding her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Finally! </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So a few things. I was having a lot of trouble with this chap, not knowing exactly how to get things going to where I wanted them to be, so it took a while. It’s a long’n! (another reason why it took longer than usual)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I have decided to split this (10k words) into two chapters.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, this means that this chapter ends on a cliffhanger so I </span>
  <em>
    <span>majorly</span>
  </em>
  <span> apologize in advance!!!!!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I am so close to being finished with the one after this one so I *promise* that I will post that one in the next few days. Thank you for your patience ;)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This chap along with the next is my favorite so far so plz tell me what you think!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Randomness- my nails are never painted or done at all, but my toes always are! </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The light coming from the window and the warm heat of something covering her slowly woke Hermione up. She cracked her eyes open to find Ron, splayed out on his stomach, with half of his body thrown over her, his weight heavy on top of her small frame. It wasn't the most</span>
  <em>
    <span> comfortable</span>
  </em>
  <span> of places to be, but she loved it all the same. She felt how hard his chest felt against hers, and almost groaned at the feeling of his crotch pressed into her hip area, although she could feel that he was not hard at all. She knew that there would be no way that she would be able to get out from under him without waking him up, so she laid still, soaking in the moment and the feeling of him pressed so tightly against her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Last night, he had actually told her that he had </span>
  <em>
    <span>hoped</span>
  </em>
  <span> she would come into his room and into his bed. They had only slept of course, and he hadn't tried anything, but still, he had </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted</span>
  </em>
  <span> her there with him</span>
  <em>
    <span>. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She blissfully breathed in the smell of ‘Ron’ all around her. It was in the sheets, the pillows, the blanket, </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She turned her head up a bit to stare at his face, sighing at the sight of his slightly parted lips as he slept. She wanted so badly to lean up and kiss him, but she knew that she couldn't just dive in like that without being absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure</span>
  </em>
  <span> that it was the right thing to do. As badly as she wanted him, his friendship was still number one to her and she refused to lose that again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her thoughts were interrupted as she watched his pale eyelashes flutter before opening, his blue eyes looking right into her brown ones. He froze, and for a moment, the expression on his face was if he wanted to kiss her just as much as she wanted to kiss him. She felt her breath hitch, waiting to see if he would do it but then he blinked rapidly, as if waking himself up from a dream. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” he said gruffly, before realizing that he was halfway on top of her and immediately rolled back. “Shite! Sorry Hermione, I’m sure that wasn't very comfortable was it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” she said softly, disappointed that he hadn't kissed her and already missing him being so close to her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why’d you come in here last night?” he asked as he ran his hand through his hair and let out a loud yawn. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess I was tired of being alone. Sorry,” she said, giving him a small apologetic smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“S’no need to apologize.” He paused before clearing his throat. “I uh-I like having you here as well.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, well good.” She grinned. “Even though you tried to flatten me with your body, it was still nice and warm.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He chuckled. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>That</span>
  </em>
  <span> part was unintentional, I swear!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione was about to move in closer to him, but suddenly realized just how </span>
  <em>
    <span>full</span>
  </em>
  <span> her bladder was. Inwardly cursing, she reluctantly pulled the covers up and crawled out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll make some toast or something,” she called out behind her as she walked towards the door, turning her head to see an unreadable expression on his face as he nodded at her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She walked out of his room before heading to the guest bathroom, quickly using it and then brushing her teeth. She went to the kitchen and started making them some toast, setting some jelly and butter on the table. Ron took a bit before he finally made it out of his room, his cheeks a bit flushed. She wondered why his coloring had changed, as he had been fine when she had walked out earlier. He said nothing though as they started to chat like normal while they ate their toast together. They had slept in and only had two hours before they were due to be at the Weasley home so they kept breakfast light, knowing that there was going to be plenty of food later.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After breakfast, she retired to the bathroom to get ready while he did the same. It didn't take her long before she was done. She was wearing a classy red form-fitting sweater dress over a pair of black tights and black boots. Although she wouldn't consider the outfit ‘sexy’, she knew that it looked pretty good on her. Her hair had been unmanageable as always, but she had pinned back the sides and figured that it looked okay. She had also put on some powder, mascara, and chapstick before deciding that her look was complete.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She walked to the living room to see Ron sprawled out on the couch, seemingly bored. He was throwing an orange up in the air and catching it before repeating the action. He was wearing a nice pair of dark colored jeans along with a long sleeved button down red dress shirt. When he caught sight of her, he abruptly stopped, his eyes softening as he looked at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Merry Christmas Hermione,” he said softly, smiling at her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Technically</span>
  </em>
  <span>, it’s Christmas </span>
  <em>
    <span>Eve, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but Merry Christmas to you as well,” she said as she walked towards the couch where he immediately sat up to make room for her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry and Ginny would be there any minute to pick them up so they could all head to the Weasley home together, so they didn't really have anything to do except wait. She leaned in towards him, inhaling the scent of his cologne.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You smell good,” she mused as she continued leaning, getting much closer to him than was necessary. “Is that new cologne?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” he said slowly. “It’s the same one that I’ve always worn.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had known this of course, but she had used it as an excuse to get closer and also start a conversation. “Oh,” she said as she leaned her head up so that they were face to face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She could see that his breaths were shallow as he stared at her questionably and she could tell that she was having at least </span>
  <em>
    <span>some</span>
  </em>
  <span> effect on him. She was about to lean in further when there was a loud knock on the door. Ron inhaled sharply before quickly jumping up and going to let Harry and Ginny inside. Hermione felt disappointment, but knew that she would get other chances. They chatted for a while before heading out a bit earlier than necessary to see if Mrs. Weasley would need any help.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they arrived, it was chaos. After meeting and hugging on an embarrassed but pleased Harry, Mrs. Weasley immediately gave them all a job to do, obviously grateful for the help. Though Hermione was too busy to talk to Ron much, they smiled at each other when they were close, and he purposely bumped into her several times while she set the giant table while he was carrying things to and fro at his mum’s request.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon, everyone was arriving and she was talking and greeting them all, and having a great time. The Weasleys always had both lunch and dinner before the celebration was considered over and they all went their separate ways so she knew that they would be there for a long time. Lunch was delicious, and with everyone’s full stomachs, they either broke off into games or conversations. Ron was playing a chess game with Harry while Hermione found herself in the kitchen where, for some odd reason, Ginny had decided to make a fruit smoothie for everyone to sample so she could prove just how good she was at making smoothies.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione leaned against the counter, glancing at Ron  in the living room, not sure how to start the conversation she wanted to start with Ginny.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taking a deep breath, she finally started. “Gin, can I ask you something?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure, of course,” Ginny responded as she shifted through all of the cabinets, looking for the blender.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can you tell me more about the- the girlfriend that Ron had?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ginny turned and gave her a little grimace. “Meagan, yeah. She’s actually a friend of mine. I set them up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Hermione said, a bit surprised. “Ron didn't tell me that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it took me a while to convince him to take her out, but they hit it off really well- at first anyway. Meagan was very...</span>
  <em>
    <span>into</span>
  </em>
  <span> him. I think he even broke her heart in the end.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione gulped, not liking the sound of Ron ‘hitting it off’ with anyone, but also feeling bad for Meagan as she knew firsthand what heartbreak from Ron Weasley felt like. “So, what happened?” she asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well- I’m not </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure </span>
  </em>
  <span>actually. Ron wont talk much about it, but Meagan told me that one night she told him that she was starting to fall for him and he just kind of started being distant after that. And then, a few days later he ended things.” Ginny let out a cry of joy when she found the blender in the back of a cabinet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why do you think that is?” Hermione pressed, not wanting her to stop talking about the matter at hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ginny shrugged as she started chopping some strawberries on the cutting board. “No idea. Who knows </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span> goes on in my barmy brother’s head? Honestly, I think I’d rather </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you think that Ron has commitment issues?” she asked, curious to see what Ginny would say. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm. I suppose that’s a possibility-and it </span>
  <em>
    <span>would</span>
  </em>
  <span> make sense. He’s never expressed any desire to </span>
  <em>
    <span>be</span>
  </em>
  <span> with anyone. From what I’ve seen, Ron just gets tired of the opposite sex pretty quickly...except </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>of course. You are the</span>
  <em>
    <span> only</span>
  </em>
  <span> girl that Ron hasn't ever grown tired of- even if it is just platonic.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Hermione pressed, glancing into the livingroom and making sure that Ron wasn't going to walk in and interrupt this discussion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well-he’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>crazy</span>
  </em>
  <span> about you. I mean, we’ve all asked him throughout the years if he has more-you know- </span>
  <em>
    <span>romantic </span>
  </em>
  <span>feelings for you, but he’s never quite answered. He’s always insisted that you don't see him like that and it’s never going to happen so just drop it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione couldn't help her mouth from gaping open. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>What? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ron said that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ginny turned towards her, her eyebrow raised. “You've </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> told him that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione shook her head no, feeling dumbfounded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Forgetting her task, Ginny turned fully and leaned in towards her. “So you </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> like Ron in that way?” she asked, her face giddy and excited.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione gulped. She wasn't too keen on Ginny knowing of her affections for Ron before she had even talked to him about them. </span>
  <em>
    <span>But,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she mused, Ron </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> to already know that she felt that way for him, at least in </span>
  <em>
    <span>some</span>
  </em>
  <span> capacity. He wasn't dim enough to think that she had slept with him without having feelings for him-right? She sighed. Perhaps Ginny could help her figure out what she should do to move things forward.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love Ron,” she admitted quietly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ginny’s eyes widened. “Like </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> love?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione let out a frustrated sigh. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Yes</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I am head over heels for your brother. Have been for a long time actually.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A happy and mischievous grin spread across Ginny’s face. “Wicked,”she exclaimed, sounding just like a female version of her brother. “So, what are you going to </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> about it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I would like to know how he feels about me before I </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> anything. Has he </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span> mentioned anything? Anything at all that will help me out?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ginny frowned. “Not really. He’s never really talked about it to any of us. He used to always get pissed off when Fred and George would take the mickey out of him for being best friends with a girl, but-I’m not sure. But then again, like I said, Ron’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>wild</span>
  </em>
  <span> about you and always has been. If I’d have to take a guess, I’d say that he probably feels the same way about you as you feel about him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Hermione squeaked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ginny nodded. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> to let me know what happens as soon as possible. This is- blimey this is </span>
  <em>
    <span>big</span>
  </em>
  <span> news! We could-we could be </span>
  <em>
    <span>sisters</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hermione!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione held up her hands. “Woah Ginny, let’s take one step at a time okay? Verdict is still out on how </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ron </span>
  </em>
  <span>feels about all of this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ginny let out an exasperated sigh. “Well, he’d be </span>
  <em>
    <span>barmy</span>
  </em>
  <span> to turn you down Hermione.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione just twisted her hands in front of her as Ginny continued. “Don't feel scared Hermione, I have a feeling that things will work out just </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine</span>
  </em>
  <span>- oh, hello brother!” she said cheerily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione spun around so quickly that she lost her balance, and Ron, who was now right behind her, reached out with both of his hands to steady her before she fell. “Woah Hermione! Careful,” he playfully chastised, a smile on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She could feel that her face was flushed as she stared at him, wondering just what he had overheard but as he looked back at her with a now puzzled look on his face, she knew that he hadn't heard anything important. Giving her shoulders a small squeeze before letting go, he turned around to open the fridge and leaned in to study the contents inside.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, just </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span> is it that will work out just fine?” he casually asked, his head going from right to left, scanning the inside of the refrigerator.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione gave a panicked look to Ginny, but Ginny looked as cool as a cucumber. “Hermione’s plan to take over the world of course,” she said casually, causing Ron to turn his head and smirk at them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hasn’t Hermione </span>
  <em>
    <span>already</span>
  </em>
  <span> taken over the world?” he joked, again turning to the fridge.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ginny leaned in towards Hermione’s ear. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>His</span>
  </em>
  <span> world maybe,” she whispered before giving her a wink as Hermione gave her a look of warning.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally settling on string cheese and a beer, Ron shut the fridge. Before he could do much else, Hermione grabbed his hand, mumbling something about being cold and wanting to go sit in front of the fire, Ron following her lead, completely oblivious to the ‘cat who ate the canary’ look on his younger sister's face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dinner went well, and afterwards, the whole Weasley family was in the living room playing a game of charades. The evening was so much fun, and Hermione laughed more than she had in a while. She was sipping on wine and was feeling light and giddy, even snuggling closer to Ron on the couch when it was neither of their turns. Ron was drinking as well, and she could feel how relaxed he was and loved the goofy grin that was adorning his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon enough, they were all calling it a night, and clambering into Harry’s car. The ride was short, and she leaned her head on Ron’s shoulder the whole way to his flat. It was late, so Harry and Ginny dropped them off, not bothering to go inside. After waving them off, they were alone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Holding hands, they made their way to his door, both of them breathless from laughter as they recalled the events from earlier when Percy had tried to act out the word ‘dolphin’ and had failed miserably. Ron unlocked the door before Hermione stumbled in, still grasping her middle as she laughed even harder, the alcohol making everything much funnier than it otherwise would have been. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It was-the </span>
  <em>
    <span>funniest</span>
  </em>
  <span> thing- </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span>!" she wailed, as Ron laughed at her, his eyes twinkling in amusement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay Hermione, let’s calm down now,” he chuckled, motioning her towards the couch. “I want to give you your gift now.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had given him his gift earlier at the Weasley’s- an autographed jersey from his favorite football player- and he had seemed to love it. She had wondered why he hadn't given </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> anything, but he had whispered in her ear that he wanted to give it to her in private and she had been antsy with anticipation since. Once she was on the couch, Ron dismissed himself, telling her that he would be right back. She sat back, wondering what it was that he had gotten her. An image of him walking out with a gigantic bow wrapped around himself came to mind and she giggled, although she secretly hoped that it truly </span>
  <em>
    <span>would</span>
  </em>
  <span> be that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>However, when he walked back out, he was holding a rather large box wrapped in wrapping paper. She cocked her head to the side, wondering just what could be inside. He sat down next to her, placing the box in her lap and she noted that it was pretty heavy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go on,” he urged, looking a bit nervous. “Open it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With his urging, she quickly unwrapped it and opened the plain cardboard box that had been underneath the wrapping paper. She was surprised to find a rather large and thick scrapbook taking up the entirety of the box. It was light blue in color and right there in the middle of the cover was a picture of her and Ron at the beach. They had been about fourteen or fifteen at the time, and she had joined his family one weekend in the summer on a beach trip. Hermione turned to look at him, surprised.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron grinned at her. “Well, are you going to open it or what?” he teased.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She turned her attention back to the book, pulling it out of the box and opening up the cover. She gasped when she saw that there were a bunch of small pieces of paper glued together in between the clear pocket sheet and immediately she knew what he had done.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She turned to him. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>kept</span>
  </em>
  <span> them?” she asked incredulously.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shrugged. “Not </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> of them, mind. Certainly there were a lot that I didn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>want </span>
  </em>
  <span>to keep, but I kept what I could at least.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looked back down and observed the little notes. Most of them were in her own handwriting, but some were in his as well. “How did you get the ones that I</span>
  <em>
    <span> clearly</span>
  </em>
  <span> remember having?” she asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shrugged again. “I would shove them in my pocket when I came over, if there were any that is,” he said nonchalantly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had always found it odd when the little pieces of paper would just disappear from the top of her desk or even from her small trash can, but had always just assumed that her mum had picked them up when she was collecting trash. She had never even thought of the possibility of Ron taking them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here, look-” he said, grabbing the page and turning it to show her that the backs of the notes were visible on the flip side of the page, since he had used clear sleeves. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shaking her head in wonderment, slowly she turned the pages, seeing that there must have been hundreds of the small notes on various types of paper. He had even added pictures here and there of them throughout their friendship. She didn't read through all of the notes, because she knew that would take much too long, but she flipped through every page as they laughed together at the pictures. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was still trying to figure out how he had kept this from her. “I helped you clean your room many times Ron, but I </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span>-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They were all in a shoebox-well, eventually </span>
  <em>
    <span>five</span>
  </em>
  <span> shoeboxes on the very top shelf of my closet,” he said, looking clever. “Good thing my feet grew fast and I needed new shoes often.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ronald Weasley, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>hoarder</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” she laughed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, you like it?” he asked, biting his lip.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded. “It’s the </span>
  <em>
    <span>best</span>
  </em>
  <span> present that I’ve ever gotten,” she said honestly, smiling at the surprised look on Ron’s face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She turned her eyes back down, continuing to flip through the pages. When she got to the very last one, she gasped. There were two pictures in the middle of the notes and they were both from the night of the prom when they had posed before they had left her house. There was the first one where he had made a funny face, and then there was a second one where they both were smiling happily. She didn't even know </span>
  <em>
    <span>how</span>
  </em>
  <span> he had gotten them, but somehow he had. Her hand went to her mouth as she bit back a sob, tears instantly spilling out of her eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron immediately turned bright red, as he reached out for the book. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Shite</span>
  </em>
  <span>! I </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> I shouldn't have put those in there- I almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn't</span>
  </em>
  <span> but-Oh my god Hermione, I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He tried to pull the pictures out of the sleeve but she quickly shut the scrapbook so he couldn't. “No, </span>
  <em>
    <span>don't</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Please. I’m-I’m</span>
  <em>
    <span> glad</span>
  </em>
  <span> that they're in there Ron, honestly.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron still looked hesitant. “Are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” he asked, his eyes searching hers as if looking to see if she was lying.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” she sniffed. “I’m positive.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He let out a breath of relief as he leaned back, although he still looked extremely guilty and a bit red in the face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>They sat there in silence together as she ran her hand softly over the front cover of her gift. What he had given her, what he had </span><em><span>done</span></em><span> for</span> <span>her. It was too much for her to even comprehend. He had obviously put so much thought and work put into this that it just </span><em><span>had</span></em><span> to mean something right?. The fact that he had saved all those notes throughout the years? She was in absolute </span><em><span>awe </span></em><span>over it! She had never received something that meant so much to her, had never been so thunderstruck by a gift in her entire life. She very slowly and gingerly lifted the scrapbook off of her lap and set it on the coffee table before turning towards Ron.</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn't even know that she was going to do it until she did, but suddenly her lips were on his. His lips were soft and she almost moaned at the feeling of them and how much she had missed them. It took her a second though for her to realize that his mouth was not responding to hers and that his body was stiff as she leaned into it. Frustrated by this, she kissed him harder but he slowly turned his head away. Undeterred, she started to softly kiss his neck, feeling him shiver as her mouth moved across his skin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Please don't do that, Hermione," he practically whispered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She instantly stopped kissing him, but she didn't move away, instead leaning her head onto his shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All of those things that she had taken as signs that he possibly returned her feelings-All of the hope that she had been holding onto all day-Ginny’s encouraging words- The meaning of the gift he had just given her. She had been wrong. Absolutely and positively </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He didn't want her; at least not in the way that she wanted him. If he had, he wouldn't be sitting as still as a statue as she kissed him. He wouldn't be asking her to </span>
  <em>
    <span>stop</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She felt her heart breaking inside of her chest. What was she going to do now? She knew that she could never tell him how she felt about him since he obviously didn't feel the same. It would just make things awkward and terrible and would probably end their friendship. She clenched her eyes shut, willing herself not to cry as she came up with a plan and hoped that he would buy it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Play it cool Hermione</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ she internally told herself before moving her head up and putting her lips by his ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay Ron,” she said softly, trying to reassure him as she ran her hands through his hair as she scooted even closer. “We can do this- no strings attached. It doesn't have to be a big deal- we can just-” she felt his hands gently grip her arms and push her back away from him. When she was far enough away to take in his face, his expression looked pained but he didn't say anything. "It can be </span>
  <em>
    <span>different</span>
  </em>
  <span> this time Ron," she continued. "I promise that I wont get upset like I did last time and-” She reached out to run her hand lightly across his jawbone. He angrily swiped her hand away, his face stony as he stared at the floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>He didn't say anything for several long seconds. She saw his eyebrows furrow dangerously when he looked up at her. “</span><em><span>No</span></em><span> Hermione, absolutely not. I remember what happened last time and I'm </span><em><span>not</span></em><span> going to let it happen again. You said that you </span><em><span>wanted</span></em><span> me, but then the next morning you said it was a </span><em><span>mistake</span></em><span>! And</span> <span>then we didn't even</span><em><span> talk</span></em><span> for almost a whole year after that! So no-not even no, but </span><em><span>hell no.</span></em><span>”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She couldn't believe just how vehemently he had just spoken. “I-I kissed</span>
  <em>
    <span> you</span>
  </em>
  <span>! Obviously I </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> want you Ron and-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, you obviously want to </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span> me,” he spat out. “What’s wrong with those college men Hermione? Not up to par or something?” he seethed before sighing and rubbing his eyes. “Why </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hermione? Why are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>doing</span>
  </em>
  <span> this to me?” he groaned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She felt like falling through the floor from embarrassment. She felt her heart crumbling, but overpowering even that was the anger she felt bubbling up inside of her. She knew that it was like some sort of self-preservation technique. If she could just get </span>
  <em>
    <span>furious</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she could protect herself from the onslaught of the other horrible feelings that she was feeling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sat back even more, her eyes narrowed. "Was I so </span>
  <em>
    <span>disgusting</span>
  </em>
  <span> last time that you don't want me again Ron?" she asked angrily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She watched as his jaw literally dropped in disbelief. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>What</span>
  </em>
  <span>? You know that's not fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span>!" he almost yelled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>"Well then </span><em><span>why</span></em><span> Ron?! Why don't you enlighten me on why you are eager to fuck</span> <span>anyone </span><em><span>but</span></em><span> me?"</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once again, his jaw dropped as he stared at her incredulously. "Because you mean </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hermione! You're not just a fucking one night stand to me!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She scoffed.“Oh so let me get this straight. We can hug and touch, and even </span>
  <em>
    <span>sleep</span>
  </em>
  <span> in the same bed, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>shagging</span>
  </em>
  <span> is absolutely not permittable, </span>
  <em>
    <span>even</span>
  </em>
  <span> though we’ve done it before. Makes </span>
  <em>
    <span>perfect</span>
  </em>
  <span> sense.”</span>
  <span></span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Theres a </span>
  <em>
    <span>big</span>
  </em>
  <span> fucking difference between cuddling and shagging</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione and you know it!” he scoffed right back at her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh but sex is </span>
  <em>
    <span>meaningless</span>
  </em>
  <span> remember Ron? That’s what you said to me once wasn't it? So you could shag anybody that you wanted to? Now </span>
  <em>
    <span>suddenly</span>
  </em>
  <span> it has to </span>
  <em>
    <span>mean</span>
  </em>
  <span> something? Or did you just lie and say that so you could do whatever you wanted and be guilt-free?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His eyes widened at her words before he glared at her. "Stop throwing things that I said and did when I was an immature</span>
  <em>
    <span> teenager </span>
  </em>
  <span>back in my face Hermione. That's not fair!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"All right!” she said as she stood up. “I hope you had a </span>
  <em>
    <span>great</span>
  </em>
  <span> Christmas Ron but I refuse to stay here and be rejected by you. You don't want me? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fine,</span>
  </em>
  <span> I’ll just go then!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Rejection?” he said disdainfully. “You rejected </span>
  <em>
    <span>me first </span>
  </em>
  <span>Hermione, or don't you remember?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She ignored him as she made her way towards the door, not even bothering to grab any of her belongings, including the scrapbook. She didn't have a plan, but she was too upset to stay there with him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stood up as well, and quickly moved his body in front of hers. “You're not</span>
  <em>
    <span> going</span>
  </em>
  <span> anywhere!" he said angrily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She let out a disbelieving bark of laughter. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh</span>
  </em>
  <span>? And what are you going to </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ron? Hold me prisoner?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He just glared at her, his breaths coming out heavy, his eyes staring daggers at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm going to </span>
  <em>
    <span>go</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and you can just stay here and live your perfect ‘unattached lifestyle’- I won't drag you down anymore Ron."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Unattached lifestyle</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" he asked crossly. "What is</span>
  <em>
    <span> that </span>
  </em>
  <span>supposed to mean?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"As if you don't know!" she huffed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I </span>
  <em>
    <span>don't</span>
  </em>
  <span>!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Then figure it out yourself then," she snapped before walking past him and towards the front door. Tears were stinging her eyes and just like last time, she felt the desperate need to get away from him so he wouldn't be able to see just how hurt she was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her hand was on the handle, and she opened the door several inches before Ron threw his body into it, forcing it closed. "How dare you!" she shrieked, fighting the urge to push him away, knowing that she wasn't strong enough to do so.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We are </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to have a repeat of last time," he growled, his face determined as he looked down at her. "We are going to</span>
  <em>
    <span> talk</span>
  </em>
  <span> about this."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No! And you can't make me say</span>
  <em>
    <span> anything</span>
  </em>
  <span> that I don't want to say!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why the hell did you kiss me Hermione?" he asked firmly. “Was it just because you liked the scrapbook or what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She threw her hands up in frustration. "No Ron. I just </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted</span>
  </em>
  <span> to! What's wrong with that? You have no problems kissing anyone else!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shook his head. "That’s not true at </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span>, especially now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh and suddenly you're a </span>
  <em>
    <span>saint</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Saint Ron- has a nice ring to it,” she said sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shook his head, exasperated. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Why</span>
  </em>
  <span> did you kiss me Hermione?” he demanded again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why didn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> kiss me back?” she retorted, not willing to answer him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because I-” he paused. “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>tried </span>
  </em>
  <span>to tell you that morning in the motel, but you didn't want to </span>
  <em>
    <span>hear</span>
  </em>
  <span> it remember?” he said mockingly. “Even though you knew what I was going to say, you still wouldn't give me the </span>
  <em>
    <span>courtesy</span>
  </em>
  <span> and you-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Courtesy</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Because I didn't want to hear you explain why we couldn't be anything </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> than friends? Yeah after the night that we had, that </span>
  <em>
    <span>might</span>
  </em>
  <span> have been a bit much for me don't you think Ron? I had just had</span>
  <em>
    <span> sex </span>
  </em>
  <span>for the first time with my </span>
  <em>
    <span>best friend</span>
  </em>
  <span>! My head was everywhere and I was overwhelmed! Of </span>
  <em>
    <span>course</span>
  </em>
  <span> I didn't want to hear it!” she said shrilly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She watched as his face drained of color. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>What</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” he rasped.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She let out a humorless laugh. "Oh I didn't know it was such a big secret! You seemed to make all of your other friends </span>
  <em>
    <span>well</span>
  </em>
  <span> aware of how you felt about being </span>
  <em>
    <span>tied down </span>
  </em>
  <span>with anyone.</span>
  <em>
    <span> They</span>
  </em>
  <span> had no problems spilling everything that night!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stood up straight as he took a step closer to her. "So. You took all of this that you heard and took it literally? Without </span>
  <em>
    <span>talking</span>
  </em>
  <span> to me? We’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>best friends</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hermione. You should have fucking said something to </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>!" He looked murderous as he stared at her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I didn't want to hear it first hand," she admitted quietly, the fight now gone from her.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Told you that I wouldn't leave you hanging for *too* long! ;)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I think all will enjoy this chapter!!!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Randomness- I’m not a very good driver but that doesn't mean that I’m particularly </span>
  <em>
    <span>unsafe </span>
  </em>
  <span>haha</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I didn't want to hear it first hand," she admitted quietly, the fight now gone from her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She watched as his shoulders sagged as he leaned against the door, the fight apparently gone from him as well.“</span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> why you left? Because you...” he trailed off quietly as though he were talking to himself. He closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath, his fingertips coming up to rub his temples. "Hermione. Please go sit down on the couch." His tone had completely changed from earlier, his voice now quiet and pleading.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She crossed her arms, looking away from him and shaking her head. “I don't want to,” she said, but she was no longer angry, just confused and hurt, the sting of his rejection of her still fresh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hermione," he said softly, removing his hands from the side of his head. "You </span>
  <em>
    <span>promised</span>
  </em>
  <span> me that we would never stop talking again. I’m not going to force you to stay, but if you walk out of that door, I am pretty sure that is exactly what will happen. So-I'm </span>
  <em>
    <span>begging</span>
  </em>
  <span> you, go sit down."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grudgingly, she made her way back to the couch and sat, wondering where this would go from here. She was surprised when instead of coming to join her, Ron went into his small kitchen and started rummaging around the cabinets. When he returned, he had a bottle of whisky in one hand, and a shot glass in the other. She eyed him as he set them down on the table and opened the bottle, pouring a shot before quickly downing it and then repeating the action. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>doing</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ron?" she asked him, astonished at the change in his behavior. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Courage," he mumbled, before leaving the bottle and glass on the table and leaning back on the arm of the couch, his eyes watching her intently as he put his legs out straight, getting comfortable.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Courage? Courage for</span>
  <em>
    <span> what</span>
  </em>
  <span> exactly?" she asked slowly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn't answer her question, but pursed his lips before speaking. "You know you mean a</span>
  <em>
    <span> lot</span>
  </em>
  <span> to me Hermione," he said seriously, his eyes burrowing into hers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded. "You mean a lot to me as well Ron-but honestly? You're scaring me right now."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He let out a small chuckle. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>Scared</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Yeah, well </span>
  <em>
    <span>I'm</span>
  </em>
  <span> fucking terrified."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Of </span>
  <em>
    <span>what?"</span>
  </em>
  <span> she asked, now feeling even more confused.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Of fucking up. Of being </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Of being</span>
  <em>
    <span> right</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Of losing you. Everything."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She ran through a bunch of random scenarios in her head. What had he done that was so bad? "What exactly did you </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ron?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's not what I </span>
  <em>
    <span>did, </span>
  </em>
  <span>it's how I-" he cut himself off, blowing out a lungful of air and running a hand through his hair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was starting to feel even more nervous. She had </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span> idea what was about to happen, or whether it would be a good or a bad thing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay...Just tell me then,” she said hesitantly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>He sat there, hands clasped under his chin as he stared at his legs in front of him. He too, looked nervous, but extremely determined as well. “Okay,” he said slowly. “All or nothing right?” He gave her a small smile which she didn't return. “I mean-not really, because I couldn't </span><em><span>handle</span></em><span> ‘nothing’ again so I guess that’s not what I-” He sighed. “Let me-I’m going to tell you-like in</span> <span>story form okay? So that way it kind of </span><em><span>separates </span></em><span>me from it I guess. It might make it easier to say since I’ve always been </span><em><span>shite</span></em><span> at this kind of thing."</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're going to tell me a story?" she asked, bewildered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He gave her a small smile.“Just- humour me alright?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. I’m listening,” she said earnestly as she turned and sat against the opposite armchair of the couch, putting her legs out. They were now sitting opposite on the small couch, their legs pressed against each other’s in a pattern, his, hers, his, hers. She stared at him, giving him her undivided attention.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He cleared his throat. “No interruptions okay? I think it’s going to be hard enough for me to get through everything.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” she agreed, intrigued.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He gave her a small grin before taking a deep breath and opening his mouth to speak. “Once, there was a little boy named Ronald Weasley,” he started and Hermione couldn't help smiling as she pictured a cute younger version of Ron as he went on. “Ron was the youngest boy out of six, with one younger sister. He loved his family, </span>
  <em>
    <span>most</span>
  </em>
  <span> of the time-but he had always felt left behind in a way. The three oldest brothers were usually too ‘old’ to play with him, and the twins were always off doing their own thing and didn't want to be bothered with him either. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> have his younger sister, but even she sometimes wanted to do more ‘girly’ things so he was usually left to fend for himself. He always felt that he could never measure up to any of them either, because anything that he could do, </span>
  <em>
    <span>they</span>
  </em>
  <span> could do even better. His self esteem issues came from so early on, that he couldn't even remember </span>
  <em>
    <span>when</span>
  </em>
  <span> they had started, they had just always been there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione gulped as she felt a rock begin forming in the pit of her stomach at his words. This certainly wasn't going to be a lighthearted or funny story.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He honestly felt like he had just been his parents' failed attempt at a daughter, and even though he knew they loved him, he still felt like he had been a disappointment from birth.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione wanted to stop him, to tell him that he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> wrong. To tell him that even though she cared for all of his siblings, that he was by </span>
  <em>
    <span>far</span>
  </em>
  <span> her favorite, and that he wasn't even close to being a ‘disappointment’, but she held her tongue.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“One day, when he was eleven, his family was moving into a larger house, and it would be the first time that all of the kids would get to see their new home. On the drive over, all of the kids had been excitedly talking about what kind of room that they wanted, and it was clear to him that it was going to be a ‘first come first serve’ basis when it came to picking a bedroom. He had sat there silently, daydreaming the entire ride over. He imagined himself running ahead of all of his siblings and choosing the biggest and best bedroom of them all. He would be able to decorate it just how he wanted, and all of his siblings would be green with envy, but also impressed when they saw just how </span>
  <em>
    <span>cool</span>
  </em>
  <span> that his room was.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione gave him a small sad smile because she knew what happened next.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, it didn't</span>
  <em>
    <span> quite </span>
  </em>
  <span>happen that way. When the van pulled up to the house, all of the kids hurriedly jumped out. To his delight, Ron was first out of the door, but was quickly trampled by his older siblings, causing him to fall hard on the concrete, busting his chin wide open. It hurt, but what </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> hurt was that not </span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span> of his family members had even stopped to see if he was okay, everyone had already run up and inside the house. So, once again, he had felt unimportant, unloved, </span>
  <em>
    <span>forgotten</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione felt her eyes start to water. She had seen this happen with her own eyes, but she had never thought of it as how he was describing. It had just looked like an unfortunate accident, and he hadn't cried or shown any emotional reaction beyond that first facial expression of pain. She so longed to hug him, but she knew that she had to let him finish so she sat still.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, he started to make his way into the house, knowing that since he would be the last one in, that he would now get the lousiest room of them all- and he was right. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> end up getting the smallest of all of the bedrooms, </span>
  <em>
    <span>but-”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he paused. “That turned out to be the best misfortune that had </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever </span>
  </em>
  <span>happened to him.” He gave her a meaningful look and she felt the tears that had been welling up in her eyes spill over onto her cheeks. He gave her a small smile before leaning forward and wiping them away with his hand. “I’m going to need you to hold it in for me Hermione,” he said softly. “I'm just barely beginning.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sat back again as she nodded, willing to keep herself calm.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anyway,” he continued. “I got sidetracked. After Ron got hurt, his mood was awful. He was angry at the unfairness of his life as he walked up to his new home, wishing that he had been born to another family; one where he would feel valued. For some reason, he felt like he should look up, and when he did, he saw a girl around his own age staring at him from an open window of the house next door. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn't </span>
  </em>
  <span>staring at his older, more handsome brothers, she wasn't staring at the hilarious pair of twins, or his pretty younger sister, she was staring at </span>
  <em>
    <span>him.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione gave him a small nod, wanting him to go on. It was fascinating to see things from Ron’s point of view. She was eager to hear just what he had thought when he had first seen her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He was incredibly embarrassed that she had seen him fall of course, so he rudely snapped at her, not knowing what else to do. But even after he had made it inside,  he couldn't stop thinking about the way that she had made him feel with just one look. He was determined to keep her focus on </span>
  <em>
    <span>him,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he desperately wanted her to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> friend, and his alone. He had never been popular in school as he was quiet and shy, and he had also never had a close friend before.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione was startled by this. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No way</span>
  </em>
  <span> was her outgoing, funny, charismatic, silly best friend </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span> quiet or shy! Ron must have seen the confusion on her face, as he let out a small chuckle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>true</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he confirmed before continuing. “So, a few days later, he woke her up in the middle of the night by shooting his airsoft gun at her window.” He laughed when she rolled her eyes. “Unfortunately their conversation-that had been quite snappy if I recall- hadn't lasted long, as he had been found out when his mum had heard him and had come to give him a good scolding for being awake at that hour. Afterwards, as he laid in bed, he tried to figure out a way that he could communicate with the girl who he now knew was named Hermione. He thought it was a strange name, but in the end, he decided that he rather liked it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione smiled and patted his ankle affectionately at that bit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He ended up coming up with the idea to string a ‘pulley system’ between their houses. That way, he would be able to contact her at any time and </span>
  <em>
    <span>hopefully,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she would also find him interesting- inventive-whatever. He wasn't sure why, but he very badly wanted to impress her, and became almost obsessed with doing so. She hated him at first, but he reckoned that it was his own fault for snapping at her like he had, and he vowed that he would win her over in time-and he did.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione couldn't help but let out a small laugh as she nodded in confirmation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, they grew close over time, and he soon found that the greatest feeling he could get, was when he made her laugh. She actually thought that </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> was funny! She even thought he was good enough to be her </span>
  <em>
    <span>best </span>
  </em>
  <span>friend! Granted, she didn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> any other friends, but he tried not to dwell on that </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span> much.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He laughed as she shot him a fake glare.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He ended up applying this to his school life as well; if he was funny enough for her, he could be funny enough for others. She had given him a confidence that he didn't even </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> that had been there. He had already decided long ago that he couldn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>possibly</span>
  </em>
  <span> be funny because the twins already had earned that title, but his humor was different, and to his surprise, it actually started to work. He started easily making friends, and he actually ended up being </span>
  <em>
    <span>popular</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Kids now wanted to sit by him at school, they wanted to hang out with him after school, they cared about his opinions on things- all because he was funny and he had never even </span>
  <em>
    <span>known </span>
  </em>
  <span>it! Of course, even though he enjoyed his other friends, none of them came </span>
  <em>
    <span>close </span>
  </em>
  <span>to how he felt about Hermione Granger. She was his </span>
  <em>
    <span>best</span>
  </em>
  <span> friend, and even though she sometimes drove him mental, he valued her friendship much higher above any of the others.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron stopped for a second and took a big breath before continuing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shortly after he turned sixteen, he had a realization that would </span>
  <em>
    <span>completely</span>
  </em>
  <span> change his entire life. He was laying on the floor in Hermione’s room, bored as </span>
  <em>
    <span>hell</span>
  </em>
  <span> while she worked on a math paper at her desk. With nothing else to think about, he started to question himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why</span>
  </em>
  <span> was he voluntarily </span>
  <em>
    <span>choosing </span>
  </em>
  <span>to spend a Saturday afternoon in the quiet with her, when there were a million </span>
  <em>
    <span>other </span>
  </em>
  <span>things that he could be doing that were much more fun? He couldn't really understand the reason himself, and he was extremely confused. He had turned his head to ask her a random question, risking her irritation at interrupting her when she was busy, but before he opened his mouth, he started to study her. He watched the way that her hair kept falling in her eyes even as she kept blowing it away from her in irritation, he smiled at the sprinkling of freckles across her nose. He even marvelled at the concentrated look on her face that told him that he would get an earful if he were to dare disturb her. In that moment, it was like he had been struck with lightning and he instantly </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He knew that he was-madly and desperately </span>
  <em>
    <span>in love</span>
  </em>
  <span> with his best friend.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He said the last part slowly and Hermione felt like she had just had a blow to the chest at his words. Her eyes watered and she opened her mouth to speak. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don't!” Ron stopped her, his voice pleading. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Please</span>
  </em>
  <span> don't say anything- not yet</span>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione closed her mouth, but reached behind her and grabbed a couple of tissues from the tissue box that were sitting on the end table and wiped her eyes and blew her nose. Ron waited patiently until she was done before he started to talk again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well this absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>terrified</span>
  </em>
  <span> him. He knew that he could never be good enough for her, not by a long shot. Sure, he had confidence that he was good enough to be her friend, and now confidence that he was funny and could make her </span>
  <em>
    <span>laugh</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but that wasn't enough. Being funny was nice and all, but that didn't mean that he was going to ever amount to anything particularly important. She however, was going to make something of herself someday, while </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> never would. Even if by </span>
  <em>
    <span>some</span>
  </em>
  <span> miracle she saw him the same way that he saw her, he figured that she would eventually grow tired of how unmiraculous he was, and would leave him behind in the dust while she went and did great things with her life.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione held herself back from yelling out just how wrong he was, because he was SO </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong! </span>
  </em>
  <span>She had never met anyone more loyal, more caring, more amazing than Ron! He was enough for her and </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> and she wanted to tell him this </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> bad, but she knew that she had to wait, so she bit the inside of her cheek instead.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He started flirting with her- though he did it all jokingly- and he also started making crude jokes to gauge her reaction, trying to see if he could figure out just what she was thinking.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron paused. “I apologize for that by the way, Hermione,” he said as she gestured with her hand, letting him know that it was alright and for him to continue and he did.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He was affectionate with her and always told her how much she meant to him, but never went as far as to say anything romantic. It was a way that he could let her know how he felt without telling her the extent of it. Every time he hugged her, held her hand, touched her, he was silently telling her that he loved her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron then grimaced. “He was getting </span>
  <em>
    <span>older </span>
  </em>
  <span>though, and he started to be invited to a lot of parties. He found that it was really fun to drink and have fun with his other friends. Part of him relished that fact that everyone really enjoyed him being there, and he was happy to go, because he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He soon discovered that girls from school and from these parties in particular were starting to become </span>
  <em>
    <span>interested</span>
  </em>
  <span> in him. He had been stunned by this at first, but he couldn't deny that it did a lot for his ego. He didn't want </span>
  <em>
    <span>them</span>
  </em>
  <span> though, he only wanted </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione</span>
  </em>
  <span>. But, he was also an immature boy, and one drunken night, when a bird just pounced on him, he didn't fight it and started snogging her right back. Afterwards though, he was overcome with guilt. He had snogged some random girl who </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn't</span>
  </em>
  <span> the one that he was in love with! On the way home, he tried to make himself feel better by reasoning that he had </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing </span>
  </em>
  <span>to feel guilty about. Hermione had never shown any interest in him, and they were, after all, just friends. He decided that he could actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>use</span>
  </em>
  <span> this to his advantage and he started telling Hermione about all of the girls that he was kissing, even bragging about it. His still-childish sixteen year old self reasoned that if she knew that other girls wanted him, maybe </span>
  <em>
    <span>she </span>
  </em>
  <span>would want him as well.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione wished that she could go back in time, grab him by the shoulders, and shake some sense into him. If only one of them would have </span>
  <em>
    <span>said</span>
  </em>
  <span> something to each other back then! If only she would have told him about their kiss that he didn't remember! Maybe then, they could have avoided so much. But, she chose to focus on </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span>, on the</span>
  <em>
    <span> present</span>
  </em>
  <span> and she held still, listening to him as he went on.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He also made sure to make it </span>
  <em>
    <span>blatantly</span>
  </em>
  <span> clear that he was not interested in any sort of ongoing relationship with any of those girls. He didn't want them to think that they would get anything </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> from him, so he told them that he would never be in a relationship, never be tied down, never </span>
  <em>
    <span>marry </span>
  </em>
  <span>anyone. And it </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> true though, in a way. He didn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> any of that, not if it wasn't with Hermione- and he was pretty sure that </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> wasn't going to happen. Somewhere along the way, he almost actually started to </span>
  <em>
    <span>believe </span>
  </em>
  <span>that he didn't want those things, even though deep down, he knew that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron cleared his throat and ran his hands through his hair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Anyway,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hermione got her very first boyfriend and-well, he almost went </span>
  <em>
    <span>insane</span>
  </em>
  <span> with jealousy. He tried to sabotage the relationship, wanting it to end as soon as possible. All he could think about was the pompous git running his hands over her whole body, being with her in the way that </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> never would. Just the</span>
  <em>
    <span> thought</span>
  </em>
  <span> of anyone touching her made him feel sick and made him want to beat the piece of scum to a bloody pulp. He</span>
  <em>
    <span> knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> that he wasn't being fair to her, but he was never a very rational person and he couldn't help how he felt.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione shook her head. She was sure that she regretted dating Cormac just as much as Ron regretted her dating him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thankfully though, </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> relationship didn't last very long, and things were back to how they were before. Like the </span>
  <em>
    <span>nitwit </span>
  </em>
  <span>that he was though, he kept playing his little games, bragging about every girl he kissed, every girl he hooked up with, hoping that it would trigger jealousy in Hermione and make her want him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione resisted the urge to throw her head in her hands and groan. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> been jealous! Insanely so! She must've hidden it really well though, because Ron had obviously been oblivious to how she felt.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He </span>
  <em>
    <span>almost</span>
  </em>
  <span> told her the truth, many times actually, but he never could quite bring himself to do it. He was almost positive that she would tell him that she didn't feel the same way, and he didn't think he would be able to handle her telling him that. ” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sighed. “Then, in his last year of high school, he invited her to prom. Granted, it wasn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> school’s prom, but he figured that it was still an opportunity</span>
  <em>
    <span>. If</span>
  </em>
  <span> she agreed, they would go to the prom, and then spend the night in a motel together. He wasn't going to force himself on her of course, but he hoped that </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> would end up happening, even if he was unwilling to make the first move. He tried not to get his hopes up though, because he doubted that she would even agree to go with him, but he was elated when she did. They ended up going to prom, and having a </span>
  <em>
    <span>great</span>
  </em>
  <span> time together. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She</span>
  </em>
  <span> might argue that him hitting the asshole who was hitting on her and then them running away so he wouldn't end up getting arrested was not so much ‘fun’ as it was scary, but he disagrees.” Ron smiled, but then his smile fell as he turned his attention to his hands in his lap. “It was pouring rain, and when they got to the motel, he was thinking, trying to find a way that they could get inside as fast as possible when-when she </span>
  <em>
    <span>kissed</span>
  </em>
  <span> him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione’s heart started to race, knowing that she was about to hear </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> thoughts about the night that she had replayed over and over in her head a thousand times since it had happened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron’s voice was impossibly sad now, as if he were trying not to cry. “He didn't plan at</span>
  <em>
    <span> all</span>
  </em>
  <span> for things to end up that night as they did, that had never been his intention. He never could have even imagined that what had happened was even a </span>
  <em>
    <span>possibility</span>
  </em>
  <span>. But, she had kissed </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She had kissed him, and he couldn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>believe</span>
  </em>
  <span> it. It was like all of his dreams had come true, and he thought that maybe, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally</span>
  </em>
  <span> felt the same way that he felt. And then, in the motel- it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>different</span>
  </em>
  <span> with her, it was-</span>
  <em>
    <span>euphoric </span>
  </em>
  <span>and-</span>
  <em>
    <span>”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ron shook his head slowly. “It had </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> been like that, he hadn't even known that it could</span>
  <em>
    <span> be</span>
  </em>
  <span> like that. And, well, long story short, it ended up being the absolute </span>
  <em>
    <span>best</span>
  </em>
  <span> night of his entire life. He was just so </span>
  <em>
    <span>intoxicated</span>
  </em>
  <span> with her, of having her in the way that he had only dreamed about before. It wasn't even all about the physical aspect of it, it was so much </span>
  <em>
    <span>more.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He was exhilarated and he felt happier than he ever had. He was so full of bliss that he felt like he would drown in it, either </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> or explode from the intensity of it all.” Ron let out a small laugh, before his voice again turned mournful. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But-the next morning, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn't</span>
  </em>
  <span> happy, she was upset, really upset. She was crying and he had never felt as awful as he did when he saw her looking like that. She told him that she</span>
  <em>
    <span> regretted</span>
  </em>
  <span> what had happened, and when she told him that, he felt as if a thousand pound boulder had fallen onto his chest and was suffocating him. He completely blamed himself of course. He felt that he should have known better, and that he shouldn't have allowed himself to </span>
  <em>
    <span>truly </span>
  </em>
  <span>believe that she could ever-the pain that he was feeling was something that he had never felt-it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>excruciating</span>
  </em>
  <span> and he-” Having a difficult time getting words out, Ron’s voice broke and he brought a shaking hand to his eyes and was silent.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sight of him so upset caused Hermione to burst into tears and she could no longer hold herself back. She quickly crawled over to him and sat sideways in his lap, holding his head in her arms as he tried to compose himself. After a few moments, he lifted his head up and nodded at her that he was ready to go on. She pulled her body down into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her and continued, his chin now resting on top of her head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As she told him this, he wanted to explain to her that for the first time, it had </span>
  <em>
    <span>meant</span>
  </em>
  <span> something to him, and to admit to her how he felt- even if she didn't feel the same. He wanted to tell her that he had never meant to hurt her and would have never done</span>
  <em>
    <span> anything </span>
  </em>
  <span>with her if he thought for one second that she hadn't wanted him to. He wanted to let her know that regardless of what had happened, he didn't want to </span>
  <em>
    <span>lose </span>
  </em>
  <span>her and even though it would hurt him, he would rather be her friend than nothing at all. She wouldn't let him speak though, and she told him that she already </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> what he was going to say. If it was even possible, he felt even </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> pain from this, coupled with the fact that she just wanted to get as far away from him as possible, as if he meant nothing to her. He barely managed to hold it together, but once she left the room, he laid in the bed that they had shared and he cried like a bloody </span>
  <em>
    <span>baby</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione cried into his chest, clenching her eyes shut, the mental image of what he was saying making her feel like her heart was going through a shredder. She clutched on tightly to his shirt, and his arms tightened around her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He had </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> felt so low in his life. The next few days, he barely ate, barely slept, only re-lived over and over the moment when the girl he loved had told him that he had been a mistake. He was hurt, </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> hurt. Unfortunately, the hurt festered in him and it turned into rage. He would never physically hurt her of course, but he wanted her to feel just a small amount of what he was feeling so he lashed out in the only way that he knew how. He called another girl that he had absolutely no interest in, and he </span>
  <em>
    <span>used</span>
  </em>
  <span> her to try and hurt the person that he loved the most, but had also hurt him more than he had ever been hurt in his entire life.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And then, she cut down the pulley system they had used to communicate for years. It was something that only the two of them had shared, and when he saw that she had broken it, he again felt betrayed. He tried to harden himself against her, and for a while, it worked. But after she left, and he knew that she wasn't coming back- it was like a part of him had died. He wasn't funny anymore, he just felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>numb.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He stopped going out, and slowly, he stopped even being invited out as well. He took on all the extra work hours that he could get, just so he could occupy his mind, but still, every single night she was all that he could think about.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione raised her hand and lightly stroked his chest over his shirt, trying to give him some comfort without interrupting him, knowing what was coming up next.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And then- he lost his brother. Once again he was heartbroken, but the heartbreak from this wasn't the same as it had been before. It left a giant wound inside of him and also inside every single member of his family. Almost directly after he had gotten the news, his thoughts went to Hermione and how much he </span>
  <em>
    <span>needed</span>
  </em>
  <span> her there with him. Despite the fact that she was no longer a part of his life, </span>
  <em>
    <span>she</span>
  </em>
  <span> was who he needed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron shifted a bit, moving his leg to the side and out from under her. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “My leg was falling asleep.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, suddenly, Hermione was back in his life. Of course, she wasn't a cure all, but with her there, he felt himself start to heal. Even when she went back to school, they kept close contact and he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> grateful. They never talked about what had happened between them, and he didn't want to open those old wounds as he didn't think he would be able to heal from them again. He told himself that he was over her and </span>
  <em>
    <span>only</span>
  </em>
  <span> wanted her as a friend.” Ron let out a humorless chuckle. “A lot of time went by and he hadn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>been</span>
  </em>
  <span> with anybody since that night with her and he was starting to get lonely. He figured that he would try and move on with this really nice girl that his sister had hooked him up with. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>tried,</span>
  </em>
  <span> really he had, but all he could think of was how this girl-well-how she </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn't </span>
  </em>
  <span>Hermione so he ended things.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And even now,” he said quietly. “My feelings haven't changed- if anything, they have only gotten stronger. It’s been hell trying to hold myself back from you Hermione, but I’m scared. I can't lose you again- in </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> way. I love you too much.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione had a lot to say to him. Thousands, maybe</span>
  <em>
    <span> hundreds of thousands</span>
  </em>
  <span> words, but she didn't think that it was the time yet because there were more pressing matters. She wanted to </span>
  <em>
    <span>show</span>
  </em>
  <span> him how she felt about him-talking could wait until later.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sat up and leaned into him, softly kissing his lips as she delighted at the feeling of them moving against hers this time. It didn't last very long before Ron pulled away several inches from her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Full disclosure Hermione,” he breathed. “If this is going to end like last time-if you have </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> doubt-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>"I</span> <span>love you," she said firmly, interrupting him, her hands moving up to cup his face. "I've loved you for </span><em><span>so</span></em><span> long and-" </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time it was he who cut her off with his lips on hers, his hand coming to the back of her head to pull her closer, deepening the kiss.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He groaned when her hands went down and started unbuttoning his shirt, feeling his skin through his thin undershirt. It was so hot under her fingers that it seemed to be on fire. Suddenly she was freezing and she knew just what would warm her up. She finished unbuttoning it and pulled it down and off of him before grabbing the hem of his undershirt and tugging it up as he raised his arms, helping her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once it was off, they sat there together, their foreheads touching, both of their eyes closed. "I </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> you Ron," she said again, causing him to smash his lips into hers before reaching down and starting to pull up her dress. They broke apart for just a moment as he got it off of her. He then pulled her torso tightly against his before reaching back behind her and undoing her bra clasp. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After that was off as well, his hands greedily kneaded her breasts, tweaking her nipples as she rocked in bliss in his lap, feeling just how hard he was beneath her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unable to wait any longer, she jumped back and stood in front of him, smiling at the surprised look on his face. She quickly slid both her tights and her knickers down in one smooth motion. She watched him bite his lip before doing the same and removing his jeans and pants. When he was done, he sat back on the couch as she stared at him. Although she internally groaned at his nakedness and his </span>
  <em>
    <span>obvious</span>
  </em>
  <span> arousal, she couldn't help but be a bit nervous. It had been such a long time. He must've noticed her hesitation, and he reached out to her with both hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"C'mere," he said softly, his eyes telling her to trust him, and she did.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She straddled him and he pulled her back to his lips as she leaned into the kiss. She let out a loud gasp as her clit rubbed right against his rock hard length.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Fuuuuck," he moaned into her mouth, his hands gripping her hips tightly, and shaking just a little.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She could feel how wet she was, her sex slippery against his as she rubbed against it, needing the friction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was moaning into his mouth as she pushed harder and went faster, his moans joining hers. Before she knew it, her body was stiffening as she felt herself about to go over the edge.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ron,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” she pleaded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thankfully he knew what she was asking for as he quickly lifted her and pulled her down onto him, filling her completely. She felt her walls spasming around him as she loudly screamed out. She felt as if she were having an outer body experience as he lifted himself into her over and over, almost whimpering her name as he did so. After she had come back down, she helped him, moving against him with enthusiasm. She had missed this, had missed </span>
  <em>
    <span>him, </span>
  </em>
  <span>the feeling of him inside of her just as incredible as she remembered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was soon slamming her body onto his, delighted at the sounds that he was making, and knowing that he was getting close to his own release. Only a few thrusts later, he let out a loud groan before pulling her up and off of him as he spilled onto his own stomach. His body went limp then as he threw his head back onto the couch, his breaths ragged. She reached over to the side table and grabbed a handful of tissues from the box there, and cleaned him off some.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>What.the.fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he finally said, his eyes still closed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She laughed. “Is that a </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span> thing or a-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good thing! Merlin </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span> good thing!” he interrupted before letting out a small laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She leaned over and kissed him deeply, his hand coming to the back of her head, his arm wrapping around her and pulling her into his side.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Best-fucking-Christmas-</span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he mumbled in between kisses and she let out a small noise in agreement. “I think that I’m going to need a shower now though,” he said, pulling back a bit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, I’ll join you,” she told him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine,” he said. “But I want to </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually</span>
  </em>
  <span> shower,” he told her, his eyes twinkling as she threw her head back and laughed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Together, they made their way into his bathroom. He had a large tiled shower area with plenty of room for both of them. They washed each other, laughing and chatting as if they had been this way forever, and it truly felt as though it had. Once they were done, he pulled her to him and started kissing her, his tongue demanding entry into her mouth. She let out a moan as he backed her into the tiled wall, the warm water steadily pouring down on top of them. He helped her wrap her legs around his waist before he pushed himself inside of her, both of them letting out noises of satisfaction. He started to drive himself into her, his mouth sucking the water off of her neck as she grabbed two fistfuls of his hair, his name repeatedly falling from her lips. When he reached down to rub on her, she lost it, again letting out a loud wail as she reached the top of her pleasure. Not long after, Ron pulled out, grunting his own release right before they both slid to the ground together.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After that, they crawled into his bed, not even bothering with clothes. Too exhausted for anything other than chaste kisses, they fell asleep, wrapped up in each other.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Finally at the end of this story! I have thoroughly enjoyed writing it and I thank everyone for dealing with my random weirdness and for coming along on this journey with me! (shut up- this isn't the hogwarts express*rolls eyes*)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sooooo. One more random fact. I drink water all day long, but every single night I allow myself one 12oz can of liquid poison otherwise known as Dr. Pepper!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I asked my most trusted slice of cheese (cheesyficwriter) to beta this and I thank her very very much!!! I bet that she could have never foreseen at</span>
  <em>
    <span> all </span>
  </em>
  <span>that when she joined the romione fandom that her online persona would consist of cheese jokes &amp; cheese emoji’s- but I think she loves it anyway ;)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I recommend, but def not necessary- you go read the 1st chap again (the pulley system convo) as it will come into play in this particular chapter!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This chapter is dedicated to my paranoid friend TheGroove for...reasons ;)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p>
  <span>O</span>
</p><p>
  <span>o</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*Around three and a half years later*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione looked around the crowded room, a glass of champagne in her hand. A smile was on her face as she walked around, constantly being stopped by family and friends who wanted to hug and congratulate her. The giant banner hanging in her parents living room said ‘Congratulations Hermione’ in big neat letters, and the room was absolutely littered with balloons and streamers. The party was in full swing in both the house and the backyard, with a fancy looking white tent taking up most of the space outside. Even though the actual graduation ceremony wasn't until next week, her parents were throwing her a party since classes were officially done as of yesterday.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even though most of the people that she cared about were there, she was undeniably sad and honestly just wanted to sneak away for a minute to gather her breath and compose herself. Unwillingly, her eyes started filling with tears just thinking about-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A voice came from behind her and interrupted her mid-thought. She spun around to see Harry and Ginny, their arms around each other.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi!” she replied, throwing her arms around them both, genuinely happy to see them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She marveled at Ginny’s engagement ring, and they excitedly talked about wedding plans for several minutes before Hermione could feel her thoughts returning to where they had previously been. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She watched as Harry’s eyes softened, obviously knowing what she was thinking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, you know that he would-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Harry didn't get to finish his sentence because Dean and Seamus came barreling in behind Hermione, both of them engulfing her in a giant hug that, despite her somber mood, made her feel a bit better. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi, you guys,” she laughed, liking the feeling of being engulfed by large strong arms, even if they weren't the ones that she really wanted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your family </span>
  <em>
    <span>loves</span>
  </em>
  <span> us,” Dean started. “It took us forever to reach you because everyone apparently already knew who we were and were wanting to meet us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You must have been talking about our wedding,” Seamus smiled. “Everyone was asking questions about it!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione grinned back, “Of course I have been, it was the most amazingly outrageous wedding that I have ever been to, why </span>
  <em>
    <span>wouldn't </span>
  </em>
  <span>I be talking about it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dean laughed. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>That</span>
  </em>
  <span> it was.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I still </span>
  <em>
    <span>can't </span>
  </em>
  <span>believe that you asked Luna to officiate the ceremony!” said Ginny, laughing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought she did a lovely job!” Hermione defended, knowing that Luna was currently in the kitchen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well of </span>
  <em>
    <span>course</span>
  </em>
  <span> she did!” agreed Ginny. “It </span>
  <em>
    <span>could</span>
  </em>
  <span> have done without the ten minute speech on imaginary creatures though.” She barked out a laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seamus shrugged. “They're real to </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> Gin. Besides, I</span>
  <em>
    <span> loved </span>
  </em>
  <span>watching everyone’s confused faces as she was rambling on,” he said, laughing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it was quite fantastic,” Dean agreed. “Seamus and I were about to combust from holding our laughter in-it was actually quite painful.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait - where’s</span>
  <em>
    <span> Ron</span>
  </em>
  <span>? I haven't seen him today,” asked Seamus, looking around as if Ron would be there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ginny dramatically put her finger over her lips. “Shhh!!! Don't mention the ‘R’ word in front of Hermione. She’s liable to burst out into tears!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione glared at her before rolling her eyes. “I’m not going to burst into tears just because I hear your brother’s name.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ginny smirked, taking a sip out of her glass. “Oookay,” she said, obviously not believing Hermione.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why would you cry if someone said Ron’s name?” Dean asked, looking entirely confused.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They've just opened up another shop several hours from here. Apparently it’s been crazy busy - Ron’s been there now for almost a month and wasn't able to make it down,” explained Harry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dean looked even more confused as he slowly shook his head back and forth. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>No</span>
  </em>
  <span>-Ron was just outside-” he said slowly, gesturing towards the open backdoor. “I saw him out there talking to Hermione’s parents less than five minutes ago.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione’s heart started to beat fast as she tilted her head to glance outside. She saw a lot of people out there, but from where she was standing, there was no sign of the familiar red hair that she loved.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry grimaced, as if knowing that Dean’s words would get Hermione’s hopes up. “Must've been a mistake mate. Ron’s not here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry. I know Ron, and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> what I saw,” Dean said determinedly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Without waiting to hear Harry’s reply, Hermione spun around and headed out the backdoor, her eyes frantically searching. She choked back a small sob as she saw her parents standing there off to the side of the yard, animatedly speaking to a tall and very handsome man. Ron. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Her Ron.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stood there in shock, taking him in. He was wearing a nice fitted pair of slacks, with a casual blue button down shirt, the long sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was smiling widely as he spoke to her father, laughing and nodding at whatever they were talking about. Then, as if he could feel her disbelieving eyes on him, his gaze moved to meet hers, his grin widening even further. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Forgetting propriety, or the fact that her grandparents and even some of her college professors were there, Hermione let out a loud shriek before running towards him, his arms already open for her. Instead of just running into a hug however, she leapt up onto him, her legs wrapping around his waist as he let out an ‘oomph’ of surprise. She could only imagine the sight that people were getting, as she was wearing a light and flowy summer dress, but she couldn't be bothered to care as his lips met hers hungrily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they finally broke away, Ron chuckled. “Y’know </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone</span>
  </em>
  <span> is watching us right?” he teased, his eyes twinkling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just a little embarrassed, Hermione untangled her legs and slid down his body until she was standing, though still pressed tightly against him. “What are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>doing</span>
  </em>
  <span> here Ron?” she asked breathlessly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was under the</span>
  <em>
    <span> impression </span>
  </em>
  <span>that I was here to celebrate you graduating from University,” he said cheekily, arching one eyebrow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione wasn't going to let him get away with this though. “You told me that you wouldn't be able to get away, so what changed?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing </span>
  <em>
    <span>changed</span>
  </em>
  <span> love. I just lied to you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione mockingly glared at him. “You better not get used to lying to me, Ronald Weasley.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He leaned down and gave her a light kiss on the lips, laughing and pulling away when she tried to deepen it. “And risk my life by making lying to you a habit? I’m not </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> mental, Hermione.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ever since that Christmas where they admitted all of their feelings, they had been very solid in their relationship. Things hadn't always been easy, quite hard in fact, but they had managed. With her being a student, and him being a business owner, they had rarely had any opportunities to get away, and most of their communication was through the phone or through the letters that they wrote to each other religiously. Their hearts ached because of the distance between them, but both knew that they were extremely committed to one another, and also madly in love, so they made it work.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grinning, she grabbed his hand and led him around as they politely chatted to all of the guests. Her mood had done a complete 180, and she felt that she was floating on air as they made their way, not letting her grip on his loosen at all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A little while later, as they chatted with friends and the party had started to die down, Ron, who was standing behind her, his hands on her shoulders as she leaned back into him, leaned his head down and whispered in her ear.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ready to get out of here?” he asked, causing Hermione to feel butterflies in her stomach. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taking his whisper as a hint that he wanted to go find a place to shag, she turned around, a sly smile on her face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He laughed loudly. “No, not for shagging Hermione. We have plans.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The disappointment from his words was quickly replaced by curiosity. “What plans?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a surprise,” he said with his lopsided grin that she had missed so much.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So we </span>
  <em>
    <span>aren't</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to shag?” she asked him, her eyebrows raised.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh we’ll shag alright, plenty in fact. But only after our </span>
  <em>
    <span>plans</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She laughed. “Okay. Let’s say goodbye to everyone first.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They quickly made their way around, saying goodbye as everyone gave their last congratulations to Hermione. She could tell that something was on Ron’s mind, and she kept on glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. Although he was being polite and smiling and talking, she knew him better and knew that his mind was on something else, and she couldn't wait to find out what it was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once they were finally done, they made their way to his car, where he had parked around the corner in order for him to surprise her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know I was going to </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually </span>
  </em>
  <span>surprise you,” he said as they walked. “I was going to sneak behind you and wrap my arms around you or something, but you caught me before I even had the chance.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Blame Dean. He saw you and told me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Git,” he smiled, before opening his car door and helping her in the passenger seat. Even still, Ron did things like this for her seemingly without a second thought. Really, they acted about the same as they had when they were only best friends-with the exceptions being the sex and the professions of love that now neither of them had to keep hidden from each other.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So,” he said as he got into his own seat and pulled out a black blindfold from the middle console. “I’m going to need you to wear this.” He smiled as he handed it to her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She slowly took it, but just stared at him. “Ron, where exactly are we going?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He rolled his eyes. “The whole point of the blindfold is so you </span>
  <em>
    <span>won’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> know where we are going love. If I </span>
  <em>
    <span>tell </span>
  </em>
  <span>you, it just defeats the whole purpose.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grudgingly, Hermione tied it behind her head, completely covering her eyes. She sat back in her seat as she felt Ron pull away from the curb and start to drive.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So,” she started. “Where are we going?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All she got in reply was silence so she let out a loud sigh and heard Ron let out a low laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Will you at least tell me how long that I’ll have to wear this thing, then?” she asked, hoping for at least a little bit of information.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“About forty minutes or so-give or take,” he answered, taking her hand in his. “And I’m going to make a few </span>
  <em>
    <span>extra </span>
  </em>
  <span>turns, just to throw you off track.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione frowned. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> been paying attention to every turn that they had made so far and was internally visualizing the streets.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron squeezed her hand. “Just relax Hermione. Have fun with this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s easy for </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>to say,” she grumbled. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> aren't the blind one here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She could practically </span>
  <em>
    <span>hear </span>
  </em>
  <span>his smirk. “I recall that I rather </span>
  <em>
    <span>liked</span>
  </em>
  <span> being blindfolded,” he said and she couldn't help but flush at the memory.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Touche, Mr. Weasley.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They chatted easily the rest of the way to their destination. Ron talked about how well the new shop was doing. With the way that things were going, he was pretty sure that he would be moving there shortly. Hermione had known that this was a possibility, and had already been online looking into the area for a while now. She found that there were numerous places that she could apply to start her career, and was excited. Her career was still very important to her, but Ron was even more important. Years of living apart from him while they were together had only concreted the fact that she needed him in her life, and she wouldn't be living apart from him for a minute longer than she absolutely had to. They had talked extensively about it, and although no plans were concrete, they knew that no matter what, they were going to be living together, </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a bit, she felt the car come to a stop and heard Ron put it in park. “I have to go do something </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>quick, then I’m going to come and help you out. Don't you dare move or peek while I'm gone!” he told her sternly before giving her a kiss on the cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She promised him that she wouldn't, and she kept good on her promise as she sat there in the silence. Only a few minutes later, the car door opened and Ron helped her up. She let out a squeal of surprise as he picked her up, carrying her bridal style in his arms. She could tell when they moved from outside to inside by the change in the air temperature and the different smell of the outside air to the inside air. Ron walked around, making twists and turns presumably to throw her off of where they were. She laughed, telling him that she was clueless so he needn't worry to do so, but he didn't stop. She felt as he walked on stairs, Ron huffing just a small amount having to do so while carrying her. Once up, he walked in several different directions for a few minutes before finally putting her down. She was wearing sandals, and when he set her down, she could tell that she was standing on carpet, the padding soft under her feet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” she heard Ron’s voice say from directly in front of her. “You're just going to have to stand here for about, uhm,</span>
  <em>
    <span> two</span>
  </em>
  <span> more minutes or so. You’ll uh-you’ll hear something, and then you’ll know that it’s time to take off the blindfold. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don't </span>
  </em>
  <span>move before then, alright?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded and before she could ask him anything else, he was gone, his footsteps pounding away, sounding like thunder as he ran down the stairs that they had come up just a minute ago. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stood there, feeling foolish, her arms crossed and hoping that there was no one around, even though she hadn't heard anyone. She allowed her foot to turn a bit to the side so she could feel what she was standing on. It felt like one of those soft and fluffy rugs that she had always wanted. Hermione decided that when she and Ron got their own place, they were definitely going to buy one. She imagined her and Ron curled up on it as they talked about-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*</span>
  <em>
    <span>tap tap tap</span>
  </em>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her thoughts were interrupted by a most familiar noise. Without even thinking about it, she ripped the blindfold off of her head, her eyes looking around wildly as she took in her surroundings. She was standing in what looked like a toddler’s room, the bed small and the walls a bright pink, about a hundred stuffed animals stacked neatly in one of the corners. Although nothing about it looked recognizable, she knew without a doubt that she was in her old bedroom. With her mouth agape, she took in all the differences, marveling at how much bigger the room looked without her ginormous desk in there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She jumped when she again heard the tapping noise before flinging herself to the window and throwing open the curtains to see a small pail right outside, Ron’s smiling face across the way, standing in the room that used to be his. Hermione was too stunned to do anything but stare at him through the closed window, wondering just how he had pulled</span>
  <em>
    <span> this</span>
  </em>
  <span> off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With the children all out of the house, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had moved to a small place in the country over two years ago, so they no longer owned the house that Ron was in now. From where she was standing, it looked like his old room was now some sort of workout room, with a yoga mat and a treadmill. She watched as Ron raised his eyebrows a bit, obviously amused at her stunned expression. She watched as he pulled the rope, the pail tapping against the window yet again. Shaking her head to bring her out of her daze, she quickly opened it, pulling the small note out of it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What’s up?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ron! How did you DO this?!?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Turns out that people are suckers for romance. The two very kind families who now own these houses gave me permission to use them for half an hour. I even offered to pay them but they declined.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That's great! This is amazing Ron, really! But, I still don't understand. Why are we here? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe I just felt like doing something nostalgic, do you not like it?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Of course I do. This is one of the sweetest things that you have ever done for me. I can't even believe this!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I have done a lot of sweet things for you, haven't I?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You have. What made you think to do something like this though?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I love you. Is that not reason enough?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I love you too. So much.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m glad. Right now, I’m content with just the words, but later I’m going to need you to prove it to me in a more...physical way.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Please don't tell me that you did all of this to ask me for sex, Ronald.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ask you for sex? Hermione, I never have to ask you for sex! You're just as randy as I am.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Only for you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Damn straight only for me. And I want it to stay that way-forever.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Of course it will. No one in the world can get me all hot and bothered like you can.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione watched as Ron read that note, and laughed when he let out an audible groan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione. I’m trying to be all romantic here and you're making me horny as fuck.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Romantic? Where are fake rose petals when you need them?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oi! I’m never going to live that one down, am I?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No, you aren't.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he got that note, he stuck his tongue playfully out at her before putting the piece of paper in his front pocket. She watched as he brought a rolled up piece of paper out of his back pocket and placed it in the pail and sent it back to her. She eyed him suspiciously but he kept his expression neutral as he stared back at her. Once it was in her hands,  she unrolled it carefully, amazed at just how long it was and seeing the page filled with Ron’s sloppy scrawl.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione Jean Granger,</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>First off, I hope you like this little surprise that I planned out. I had such a hard time keeping this secret from you, and I’m so glad that it’s finally time I can spill it. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I could write a million things right now. I could tell you how I felt when I first realized that I loved you, but you already know that. I could also scold you for not telling me about our drunken kiss that we had when we were sixteen, but we’ve argued about that many times before. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione let out a loud sigh. The topic had become something that he liked to tease her about every once in a while. Sometimes, they would go back and forth arguing over their years of lost opportunities, but in the end, they tended not to stay hung up on the past, as they had gotten together eventually and were very happy and content with the way things were between them. </span>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I could tell you that Christmas night, over three years ago, was the best goddamn night in the world, and to be honest, every night after has been amazing as well because when I go to sleep every night, I know that when I wake up, you will still be mine, and that you love me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Granted, the vast majority of those nights have been lonely and miserable, with a Hermione-shaped void in my bed where you belong. I am so fucking glad that you are finally out of school. I have been waiting for what feels like eternity for you (not that I’m complaining love, I’d wait for you forever but it’s so so hard). </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I cannot put into words how much I love you, and how much you mean to me. It’s amazing to me, that although we are together and in love, that the solidity of our friendship has never taken a backseat to that. Sure, we may fight sometimes, even over the most ridiculous of stuff (usually due to the stress of not being able to be together near as much as we want to be) but in the end, we always come out stronger, and you are more precious to me every single day. Even though I feel that it is absolutely impossible for me to love you even a single ounce more- I always do.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You make me a better man. I’ve told you this before and you like to shake it off, but it's true. I know that one’s self worth shouldn't be based on how another person feels, but I can’t help it-you just make me more than I ever thought that I could be. I feel worth it, and when I look at you, I see my whole future. We have both grown up so much these last several years. I would have never been able to write or say these things back then, and have come so far in being able to express myself better and I have you to thank for that. Not that you didn't have your own share of problems, but I’ve been proud as you've overcome them as I have mine. What can I say? We work amazingly together in every possible way.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>We both wasted years by not telling each other how we felt, but I will never make that mistake again. I will tell you every day how much I love you, even if you get bloody sick of hearing it. There is no other woman in the world that I would want to spend the rest of my life with, not even a chance. You told me that you once thought that I was ‘unobtainable’ and in a way- it’s true. I am unobtainable-to every woman in the world except for a one Hermione Granger.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione, I love you. Really and truly love you. So much that when I’m not with you, I don't feel like myself. Just the thought of seeing you every day, being with you everyday, is the best possible thing that I can think of. I want to wake up next to you in bed every single morning-I cannot even describe how happy just the idea of it makes me. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Anyway love, now for a stroll down memory lane. I took little snippets of a ‘pulley-system conversation’ from way back when, and added my current thoughts to them. So - here we go.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Ron-I wondered what it would be like if we were to get married someday.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron- This is me trying to figure out if I had any chance at all with my beautiful best friend.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Hermione-What would possibly possess you to think about that?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron-Oh, I don't know, a little something called love, maybe.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Ron-Like I said, I don't know. What do you think about that?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron- I wasn't going to give up that easily.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Hermione- I think the idea is ludicrous. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron-Yeah? We’ll just see about that.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Ron-Ouch.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron-That was the sound of my heart breaking by the way. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Hermione- Nothing against you, of course. It’s just that we are so different . It would never work out between us in that way.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron-Something tells me that you don’t quite feel that way anymore, love.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Ron-How do you know? We get along great don't we?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron- That’s me pressing.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Hermione-Ron, we fight. Constantly.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron- Yes, but that’s what make-up sex is for.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Ron-But we still care a lot for each other.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron-Wasn't I a sweetheart?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Hermione-Of course we do. But that doesn't make us compatible for marriage.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron-There you go, being bloody difficult.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Ron-Maybe it does.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron-Still pressing.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Hermione-It doesn't.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron- &lt;/3</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Ron-For the record, I think that you are beautiful. Especially more so as you've gotten older.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron-That hasn't changed one bit and is still true.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Hermione-Don't make this weird between us Ron.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron- If you only knew that I would eventually have you in so many different ways, you would have laughed at your younger self for thinking that me calling you beautiful was "weird". </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Ron-I’m just telling you the truth.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron-Again, what a sweetheart I was!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Hermione-Fine. I’ll take the compliment. Thank you Ronald, you are quite handsome yourself.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron-I now know for certain that you cannot resist my charms.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Ron-I’m serious Hermione, let’s get married.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron-Subtle.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Hermione-I’m serious as well. No.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron-Good thing I’m good at persuasion.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Ron-Maybe one day I can change your mind.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron-Here’s to hoping!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Hermione-Why would you want to marry me anyway? Wouldn't you want to marry someone fun?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron-HA! I know first hand how ‘fun’ you really are...although if my sixteen year old self would have known about future Hermione’s idea of ‘fun’ he might have had an aneurysm so probably a good thing he didn’t.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Ron-I think that you're fun! Just not in the ‘normal’ sense of the word.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron- There is some unintentional foreshadowing.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Hermione-I’m not even close to thinking about marriage anyway. Career first and then marriage, once I’ve found the right man of course.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron-Hmmm. Of course.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>16yo Ron-And I’m not him?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Current Ron-</span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>Am</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> I him Hermione? Time for you to finally answer that question.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione got to the end of the letter, and with tears running down her face, her head snapped up to look across at Ron, but when she looked through the other window, he was no longer there. She leaned out of it a bit, hoping he was just standing to the side or something.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ron!” she called, a bit frustrated that he had just left like that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Behind you love,” came a soft voice behind her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione jumped about a foot in the air, letting out a squeal of surprise as she spun her body around. Her eyes widened when she saw Ron on one knee on the floor, a ring in his hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Marry me?” he asked, and she wasted no time pulling him up and throwing herself at him, her arms wrapping tightly around his body as she cried into her favorite spot on his chest where her head fit perfectly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pulled her close to him, his hands lightly rubbing her as they swayed just a bit. “I believe that you still owe me an answer Hermione,” he murmured in her hair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you honestly think that I would say </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span> to you Ron?” she answered, her voice muffled because she hadn't moved yet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hermione, why do you always have to be so bloody </span>
  <em>
    <span>difficult</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” he chuckled, his hands now poking at her sides as she laughed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She leaned back, her eyes still brimming with tears. “Yes.” She kissed him. “Yes. Yes. Yes, yes yes </span>
  <em>
    <span>yes</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” she cried, jumping up onto him and kissing him again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Fine</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he teased. “I guess we’re getting married then.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They walked out of the house hand in hand, Hermione gazing around at how different everything looked from when she had lived there. The two families were standing in their respective yards, and immediately came up to them to ask about how things had gone. They asked if they could see the ring, and gushed to her about how amazingly lucky she was, and what ‘a fine young man’ that she had. She beamed, knowing just how charming Ron could be, and agreed with everything that they were all saying. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they finally made it to the car and pulled away, Hermione couldn't stop staring at both her engagement ring and the man that had given it to her. She could see the proud and smug look on Ron’s face as he drove, but he didn't say anything.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have to admit, I had been thinking of different ways that you would propose to me Ronald, but I hadn't expected </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” she said, leaning over to stroke the side of his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He grinned. “Hopefully reality was better than what you had been thinking?” he asked, and she could tell that he was hoping that it had been.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> much better,” she reassured him, and she absolutely meant it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They rode in comfortable silence for several minutes, Ron’s hand that wasn't on the wheel on her leg, her hand on his. She couldn't believe that they would soon be moving in together, and that seeing him every day would again be her reality. It had been so hard to be away from him, and the fact that that would all soon end made her tear up in relief at just the thought of it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” Ron asked, side eyeing her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just can’t believe that it’s almost all over,” she replied as he gave her a strange look. “Us being apart,” she clarified. “We will </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally</span>
  </em>
  <span> be together now. No more saying goodnight over the phone, no more laying down in a cold bed where you should be-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No more wanking ourselves off over the bloody phone,” Ron added and Hermione couldn't help but laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that all you think about?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nah. Food’s up there as well,” he grinned as she scoffed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where are we going anyway? I haven't even thought to ask,” she laughed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re going to a hotel near here. Room’s already reserved.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ron, what about my things? I left my bag at my pare-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your parents know and they helped,” he cut her off. “Your mum put your bag in the trunk when we were saying goodbye,” he said as he squeezed her thigh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sat back, taking a deep relaxing breath. Ron really had thought of everything. She had always been an overplanner, and every once in a while when Ron took charge of things, it allowed her to just sit back and not worry. It was just one of the many many reasons that she was so in love with him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they reached the hotel, Ron grabbed their two bags and together they made their way to the 3rd floor. Once in, she noticed that the room had two queen-sized beds and she threw herself onto one of them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Ron said. “I guess that’s your bed, I’ll take this one then,” Ron said cheerily, throwing the bags down on it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione huffed, grabbing a pillow from behind her and tossing it at his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” Ron squeaked as the pillow hit it’s target. “I’m joking! You know that I would never sleep any further away from you than I had to!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s what I thought,” she said, giving him a warning look before laying back down and closing her eyes blissfully. A few seconds later, she squealed as he hurled himself on his hands and knees over on top of her and gazed down at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have I told you that you look </span>
  <em>
    <span>incredibly</span>
  </em>
  <span> sexy today?” he asked, his voice husky.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” she breathed. “But I think that you must have been looking into a mirror because that’s been</span>
  <em>
    <span> my</span>
  </em>
  <span> thought since I saw you in my parents' backyard.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?" he asked, leaning down to capture her lips in his. “Well, since we’ve now </span>
  <em>
    <span>clearly</span>
  </em>
  <span> established that we find each other sexy, </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> are we still wearing clothes?” he asked, arching his eyebrow at her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She groaned, pulling his head down for a kiss, his words and his amazingly sexy expression instantly turning her on. Hastily, she started working at the buttons on his shirt, as he slid his large hands from her thighs to her lower belly, leaving her dress bunched up at her waist. She watched as he broke away to look down, groaning at the sight of her pink lacy knickers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So fucking hot,” he mumbled. “Been too fucking long.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Speaking of long,” Hermione breathed, reaching down to grasp his erection through his trousers, automatically making his lower body push into her touch. “Mine,” she said posessively as she ran her hand up and down the prominent bulge.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“All yours,” he agreed, his hands grasping the elastic of her knickers and pulling them down slowly. “You probably had already mentally claimed it on your 17th birthday when you were ogling me from the window,” he teased, slipping the knickers from her feet and tossing them onto the floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe. Maybe not. I’ll never admit it,” she said, gasping as his fingers came down in between her legs, her hips lifting into his touch of their own accord.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh come off it, Hermione,” he chuckled, pushing a finger slowly into her as she whimpered. “I know you wanted me. This is old news by now. I only wish that I got to ogle you at least once, though. You were always so bloody </span>
  <em>
    <span>modest</span>
  </em>
  <span> that I never got to! If I was extremely lucky, I got to see a fuzzy shadow through your curtains while you were changing.” He pressed his thumb to her clit, making her body start to shake.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ron-stop!” she cried out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He jerked his hand away from her as if he had been burned, his face confused. “What? What happened? ” he hurriedly asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione felt her cheeks pinken, embarrassed for scaring him like that. “No, no. I’m sorry. I just-I don't want any foreplay right now, I need </span>
  <em>
    <span>you.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She watched as his body relaxed, a smile crossing his face at her eagerness. “Well, whatever my </span>
  <em>
    <span>fiance</span>
  </em>
  <span> wants, she fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>gets</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he said, his voice deep and his eyes darkening.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She reached down, hurriedly working on his belt as he took off his shirt and undershirt. Once his belt and his trousers were undone, he stood up and slid them off easily along with his pants. He quickly helped her out of her dress, copping quick feels as he did so. He grabbed hold of her hips and yanked her to the edge of the bed before reaching behind her and grabbing two pillows, lifting up her bum and placing them under her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her lower body was now arched up in the air, giving him access to her at the perfect height for him. He grasped her legs and wrapped them around his waist before she crossed her ankles together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gonna fuck you so hard,” he growled, causing Hermione to moan and bite her lip in anticipation. She might be the first to chastise him sometimes for his language, but she loved when he cursed in the bedroom. “Hang on love,” he said lovingly before he slammed into her, causing her to cry out and arch up even more into him, her hands clenched tightly on the blanket that was covering the bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn't hold himself back, and she was grateful. He wasn't always so rough with her, but every once in a while he was and she loved it. He grunted and she made noises with every thrust, the force of them causing her whole body to bounce wildly on the bed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuuuck,” he groaned, lifting her bottom half even higher and continuing to slam into her. “Missed-this-so-bad.” He pulled one of his hands from her hips and started to vigorously rub on her clit. She was on the verge of telling him to slow down a bit as it was almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span> much, but she didn't and her body twitched relentlessly, causing her to stiffen before she screamed out her release, Ron following mere seconds later.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron leaned his body over hers, both of them breathing heavily. After they had both regained their breath, they moved up and fully onto the bed, holding onto one another. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <span>They laid together in a comfortable silence, and Ron fell asleep fairly quickly. As Hermione played with the sprinkle of ginger hairs on Ron's chest, her heart swelled. Her mind went through the years, and through all of the times and experiences that they had shared together. From the annoying eleven year old kid, to her very best friend, to the boy she had fallen in love with, to the man currently sleeping beside her; she loved all of him. Little by little, note by note, he had crept into her heart and she knew that he would never leave it. She sighed, nuzzling closer into him. She couldn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>wait</span>
  </em>
  <span> to spend her life with Ron Weasley.</span>
</p>
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